Fàidheanta diadhachd
by Felinae Silvestris
Summary: The Jellicle Leader is dead. This should be a cause for celebration, but perhaps freedom from Macavity's rule is not all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it's hard to decide which is friend and which is enemy. Who's really to blame?
1. Chapter 1  Leadership

**F****àidheanta diadhachd (Mystical Divinity)**

**A/N: **This one deserves an introduction. I have worked on it for a while now, and it's been begging to be posted, so I've decided to go ahead and post it (now that it finally has a title). There are eight chapters written, and the ninth has been started. It's going to be long, really long. Just to warn you. Also, it is told from three different perspectives, first person from two Jellicles, and third person. I hope it's clear which perspective the story is told from at any given point, but please let me know if it gets confusing. With that said, here are the first two chapters, and any feedback/con-crit/whatever would be appreciated muchly.

Eminems

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats. I will one of these days, but for now, I don't.

**Chapter 1 - Leadership**

I'll never forget the day he died. I stood before them all, I was the one that had to tell the Jellicles that their leader was dead. Who would have thought it? He always said he would live forever, we were sure that he would. No-one expected him to die like that, judging by the look of shock he still wore in death, neither did he. It turns out that the Napoleon of Crime is just as mortal as the rest of us.

Yes, you heard me correctly, Macavity was the Jellicle leader. His death was a curse disguised as a blessing. You would have thought that Macavity was the worst thing to happen to the tribe, but the nightmare had only just begun back then. However, let's not get ahead of things. Maybe I should start at the beginning, ironically enough with the death of another Jellicle Leader. It all started when Old Deuteronomy finally passed on to the Heaviside Layer.

Macavity didn't do that, it was natural. No cat lives forever, it was his time. We missed him, we grieved for him but we accepted it. Munkustrap took on the role of Jellicle leader, and I was promoted to Jellicle Guardian. The Rum Tum Tugger was next in line for leadership, it's a birthright. It was fine by me, I didn't think I was cut out to be a leader.

Everything was fine for about a month. It was a beautiful warm autumn evening when it all went to hell. I was lounging on the big tyre with Munkustrap, chatting idly, as were many of the others around the Junkyard. A loud, terrified scream startled us, and we looked up. It had come from Demeter, she was staring in the direction of the Junkyard gate. A tall thin ginger cat was walking purposefully, right towards us. He was flanked by an army of henchcats, there were so many of them. Demeter hadn't noticed until she saw him, which was a little odd. We had no time to think about that though, we had a fight on our paws.

There was no contest, we were outnumbered, overpowered and unprepared. It wasn't long before we lost the battle. Surprisingly no Jellicle was killed, many of us were injured and a couple of the henchcats had been killed. Munkustrap was badly injured and Macavity took the opportunity to force him into his den, imprisoning the Jellicle Leader in his own home.

He didn't kill Munkustrap, or me, or any of us. At the time I was confused, but now I think it was intentional, it would have been better if he'd killed us.

I was forced to remain second in command, or face the same fate as Munkustrap. I knew that I wouldn't be able to help if I was locked up, so I had little choice in the matter. It was my job to enforce Macavity's new rules; I had to hurt my friends, my family. Even now, I'm still referred to as 'Alonzo the Traitor'. They don't understand why I did it. I was planning a rebellion, but they didn't see. How could they, when I became as cold and cruel as The Hidden Paw. It hurt me to be like that, more than you can imagine, but I didn't have a choice.

I watched Munkustrap deteriorate. The torture, the confinement and the inability to help; it must have been hell for him. I cringed every time I heard him scream, but there was nothing anyone could do. Eventually the screams stopped. He became unresponsive, I tried talking to him but it was like he wasn't even there. I think something snapped inside him. It was like he'd given up on life, but his body wouldn't let him die. He would just stare straight ahead, that glassy unfocused stare. He never moved, there was no curiosity, no interest in his surroundings. I couldn't tell you what might have been going through his head; I don't think I'd want to know. Bad enough that I'd caused it.

I felt guilty, every time I saw him I knew I had to do something. I planned to, but I couldn't do it on my own and I had no-one in the tribe to help me. It was too difficult to make contact with anyone outside the Junkyard. I would have to wait for an opportunity, or for some sort of help. So I did, hurting my tribe, hating myself, nursing a rebellion in my heart. This went on for many months, perhaps about a year. I'm not sure, because the Jellicle ball didn't happen. Life carried on fairly normally, the Jellicles adjusted to the new regime, although life was difficult for us.

It all changed when Mistoffelees vanished. Yes, I know he can do that with his magic, but Macavity had found a way to prevent the tux from using his magic so it wasn't that. If he had been able to use his magic to escape, why did he wait a year before doing it? He just disappeared; he was nowhere to be found. At first we feared the worst, that Macavity had had him killed, perhaps saw him as a threat. Macavity was just as baffled and upset by it as we were, although he was angry rather than worried. That proved to me that Macavity didn't cause him to disappear. But I suppose, as the Rum Tum Tugger said, better out there than stuck here.

It was only a few days later, that I found Macavity dead. It was just a normal day. I arrived at his den to pick up my orders for the day. He didn't answer, there was no sound. All I could hear was the eerie silence that was present every morning at this time, when everyone was asleep. I walked in, because he'd be worse if I didn't turn up at all. Upon entering the den, I spotted him lying there for all the world as if he was asleep. Immediately I was alert, I knew something was wrong. Macavity could never be caught asleep, and I could smell the faint smell of death on the air. I had to check, to make sure but I knew he was dead. I didn't see the blood until I got closer.

I was torn between panic and relief. I'll admit that I was glad he was dead because he'd made our lives hell. On the other paw, whoever was strong enough to murder the Hidden Paw must be very dangerous. I sat there staring at the body, unable to tear my eyes away. I didn't know what to do. How would the tribe take this? Who snuck in here and killed Macavity? How was Tugger going to react to the news that he was now Jellicle Leader. He would be, Munkustrap was still out of action.

I eventually left the den, and managed to get the tribe assembled. There was no distinguishing the henchcats now; they had eventually mixed in with the Jellicles. New friendships, new relationships had been formed, many old ones had fallen apart. The Jellicle tribe had been torn apart and haphazardly thrown back together by Macavity. I stood before them, and made the announcement that Macavity was dead. I caught Tugger's eye, he looked back at me. He knew what this meant for him. He shook his head, but he had to do it. There was no-one else to lead us.


	2. Chapter 2  Changes

**Chapter 2 - Changes  
**

Me, the Jellicle Leader? No way, that was too much. I couldn't lead them, I'm the Rum Tum Tugger. I'm not responsible enough, smart enough. I didn't have a choice though. I looked up at Alonzo, standing before us all. He knew how I would feel about it, we used to be friends. He would still be my second, I didn't trust him anymore, but no-one else could do the job. I wasn't ready for this, but now I had to be. I swallowed hard and stepped forward. I only hesitated for a second, before stepping up to take my place beside Alonzo. He nodded, and respectfully stepped back.

I looked down at them all, the tribe, our tribe, my tribe. I was their leader now, and I was terrified. Macavity's death should have been a cause for celebration. I know that's a terrible thing to say about my own brother, but in his case, I could make an exception. He put us through hell, Munkustrap is all but lost to us, he might as well be dead. Munkustrap, my other brother, the noble, loyal silver tabby should have been our leader. Alonzo had managed to tell me that he wasn't dead; we'd assumed that Macavity had killed him. What happened to him was worse, and I knew we had to help him. The question was how.

I addressed the tribe, following protocol as I took over the Leadership. They seemed to be happy about it, I suppose even I was better than Macavity. I did go a little further, and I promised them that life would be better from now on. I was wrong, and I regret making that promise. After they left, I had to talk with Alonzo. I still hated him, he betrayed us and I wanted an explanation. I also wanted to discuss Munkustrap, and he was the only other tribe member that even knew he was still alive. The conversation we had that day, I will never forget.

"What happens now?" I asked the patched traitor.

"I don't know Tugger. Hopefully we can go back to some sort of normality now. Macavity is dead, we're free." He replied quietly.

"Even you? Why did you betray us Alonzo?" I had to ask, I couldn't hold back any longer. I needed to know. He looked at me, an agonised expression that cut right through me. I knew then that he had no choice in the matter, but I still wanted him to explain.

"I had to Tugger, I couldn't have done anything useful locked up like Munkustrap. I realised that if I did that, I might get the opportunity to help, to stop him. Of course I had no idea what I would have to do. Do you realise how much it hurt me, doing what I did? I know that you all hate me for it, but not as much as I hate myself. You should know that I had always planned a rebellion. I didn't get the chance, I couldn't do it alone. Looks like someone beat me to it though." He explained with his voice breaking as he fought to control his emotions. "You have to understand this Tugger, I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I had no choice."

I nodded, I heard what he was saying but still I couldn't forgive. Not yet.

"I see what you're saying Alonzo, but I cannot forgive you yet. I can't trust you, none of us can." I said, I had to be honest with him, he was honest with me.

"I understand, really I do. I don't deserve your forgiveness, perhaps I can earn it." He said humbly. I nodded.

"Munkustrap is a good place to start. We have to help him, he'll know what to do." I said. This time, Alonzo nodded.

"There is another thing that worries me Tugger. Who did this? Who murdered Macavity? They'd have to be pretty dangerous and we don't know if they're hostile or friendly to the Jellicles." he pointed out. That got me thinking, and panicking.

"We should find out who did this. I also think that perhaps we should begin looking for Mistoffelees as well." I replied. He agreed, and I could see the determination in his eyes. I was still scared though, and there was one thing we had to do before we could begin restoring the tribe to it's former self.

"Gather the tribe," I told him, the tribe now included the many henchcats, they'd become one large group and they would stick together. I was sure of that. "We have one more thing to do. I need two strong toms as well, to move him."

Alonzo nodded, and scampered off to follow my orders. That was the strangest thing, he was stronger than me, tougher, more commanding. I'd often thought he'd have made a better leader than me. It was an odd feeling to see him follow my orders without question. I waited outside Macavity's den, trying to prepare myself for what had to be done. A few minutes later, Plato and Admetus arrived. I nodded, and the three of us entered the den. They lifted Macavity's body in silence, carrying him out to the big tyre. I followed behind them. The two toms bowed their heads and took their place in the crowd of assembled cats. Alonzo stood beside me, and despite everything I felt a little comforted by his presence.

I looked at all the cats, my mouth was dry and I couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say to them. I glanced down at Macavity's body, he had been our leader, and he was my brother. He had made our lives hell, and the sight strengthened my resolve. I had to lead the tribe, I was determined. I swallowed hard, and looked up to address the tribe again.

"Macavity has passed to the Heaviside Layer. We can only hope that the Everlasting Cat can forgive him, and he can make a fresh start in the next life. From death comes a new beginning. We will make our lives better again, and we will find peace. We will not forget, but perhaps in time we can forgive. Now we can move on from these dark times, and rebuild our lives. There is a lesson to be learned in everything that happens, so that we can avoid making the same mistakes."

The words came out of my mouth, but I don't know where they came from. It sounded like something Dad would have said, and perhaps he did say it through me. It could even have been the Everlasting Cat himself. I don't know. Either way, the effect was profound, there was a palpable release of tension. It was over, we were free and things could only get better from here on out.

Oh how wrong we were.


	3. Chapter 3  PostMortem

**A/n:** Here's the next chapter, where the story really gets started. There is a perspective switch later on, hopefully it won't be too confusing, and the bit in italics is a flashback. Enjoy. (Still don't own Cats by the way!)**  
**

**Chapter 3 – Post-Mortem**

After the funeral, I pulled Alonzo aside. There was something else I wanted to do, something I needed to do.

"I want to see him." I said quietly. Alonzo just looked up at me, his expression pained. He knew who I meant.

"Okay. But prepare yourself; he's not what he used to be." He warned me. No amount of warnings could have prepared me for what I was about to see. I followed the patched tom, glad to be seeing my brother again after so long, but scared of what I'd find.

We soon reached the silver tabby's den, his prison. Alonzo shot me a nervous glance as he opened the door, perhaps he was worried about how I would react. I took a deep breath and entered the den. It was dark, pitch black, so I couldn't see him at first. My eyes soon adjusted, and I spotted a cat sitting in the corner.

It wasn't him, how could that cat possibly be my brother. He was thin, beyond thin, he was emaciated. He was nothing but skin, fur and bones, I could count his ribs. I moved closer, and Alonzo followed me, letting in the bright afternoon sunlight as he moved away from the doorway.

I let out a gasp. Hell, I nearly fainted. It was worse than I thought. There was barely anything left of him and his fur, once a bright silver with strong black stripes, was now a dull, dusty gray with darker gray stripes. His fur was filthy, full of dust, grime and what looked like dried blood. He just sat there, staring directly ahead. He didn't seem to have noticed us come in, he didn't realise that we were there. I realised I had not yet seen him move, except for his chest slowly expanding and collapsing as he breathed. I was glad to see that, it told me he was alive. It meant there was a chance we could save him, there was hope.

It hurt to see him like this; it hurt even more to know that it was our brother, our own flesh and blood that did this. Alonzo, what about him? What did he have to do with this? I had just noticed that he was still there. I got the feeling he knew I'd have questions for him. He was right, but I decided to start with the easy ones.

"How long has he been like this?" I asked.

"About four months or so." He replied, answering only the question I'd asked. He didn't volunteer any extra information.

"He doesn't look like he's eaten in weeks." I observed, getting a little irritated at the lack of answers.

"He does eat, not much but I bring him food every single day," The patched tom began, sighing, "I don't know what's happened to him. It's like he has given up, but his body won't let him die." Alonzo explained, looking slightly guilty. I could guess at what he was thinking, it might have been better for him if he had died.

"What the hell did Macavity do to him?" I asked, I had to know. Alonzo sighed, he looked scared now. Scared of what I would say when he told me?

"Torture, both physical and mental. You must have heard the screams, Macavity hurt him a lot. Scratched him up, beat him up, it was cruel but not the worst. Macavity kept him here, told him lies. Told him you were dead, that he'd killed Mistoffelees, Demeter, anyone that Munkustrap cared for. The helplessness must have been hell for him, thinking that the tribe was being killed off one by one; he was unable to do anything to help. He made me..." Alonzo stopped there apparently unable to go on, and I wondered why, what was he going to say. What did Macavity make him do?

_Six Months Earlier_

_"Alonzo, come with me. I have work for you." Macavity ordered in his usual cold, uncaring voice. Alonzo swallowed hard, imagining all the possibilities of what the ginger tom could possibly have in mind. He shook his head, as if to dispell these thoughts, and followed. They stopped outside Munkustrap's den, and Alonzo looked at Macavity, his tail twitching nervously. Macavity just smirked at him, thrust something into his paw, and opened the door to the den, pushing the patched tom inside. _

_Munkustrap looked up sharply, but smiled when he saw Alonzo. His smile soon faltered, with the look of apprehension on Alonzo's face and the sight of the tall ginger tom standing behind the black and white cat. The ginger tom whispered something in Alonzo's ear, and the black and white tom's eyes widened in shock, he bared his teeth in a silent hiss. There was no way, he couldn't do that. He looked down at the object in his paws, it was a small leather collar with spikes on it, and blood. He knew who it belonged to, and he couldn't do this. Macavity placed his long claws on the back of Alonzo's neck, warning him that he better do what he was told, if he knew what's good for him. He shook his head in protest. _

_Macavity growled softly, and slowly pushed his claws through the fur and skin on the patched tom's neck, making him hiss in pain. He had to do it, what choice did he really have? It was killing him, and he knew that it would kill Munkustrap. He stepped forward, away from those hateful claws, and placed the blood-covered collar at Munkustrap's feet. The silver tabby moaned when he saw what it was, he recognised it._

_"Jemima?" he whispered, "That's my daughter's collar, where is she?" _

_Alonzo hesitated, but he could sense Macavity moving behind him again._

_"She's dead." the patched tom said coldly, breaking down inside. The pain, the grief, the accusations in Munkustrap's eyes cut through him like a knife. He wanted to shout, tell Munkustrap that his daughter was alive, his whole family were alive, but he knew that Macavity would kill him, and then he'd never be able to get them out of this. A look of regret flitted across his expression, for just a second. 'I'm sorry' he wanted to say, but at that moment Macavity put a paw on his shoulder, pulling him away. _

_"Why, Alonzo?" Munkustrap whispered as the two cats turned to leave. He couldn't bring himself to turn around, he couldn't look the silver tabby in the eyes anymore. _

_'Because it's the only way I can help you,' was his silent answer._

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of that awful memory. I couldn't get Munkustrap's face out of my mind though; I could still see the hurt, the accusation. I could still hear the pain and betrayal in the silver tabby's voice, despite having not heard that voice for four months. I sat down, looking at the ground. How could I look Tugger in the eyes, after what I'd done? I'd helped Macavity put Munkustrap in this state, it was partly my fault. I jumped when I felt a paw on my chin. I looked up, straight into those rich brown eyes. I could feel tears stinging in the corner of my own eyes, but I held them back. I didn't have the right.

"You can tell me." the maned tom said kindly. How could I?

"You'll hate me, more than you already do." I replied, struggling to keep my voice from breaking.

"I won't. It might be important Alonzo, I need to know. If you want to make amends, start now." the Rum Tum Tugger assured me. I shook my head in protest, but stopped. I realised that he was right. I had contributed to the problem, now I had to help with the solution. My resolve strengthened, I decided to tell him.

"Okay. We have to help him, I have to help him. I'll tell you. I said that Macavity had been telling Munkustrap that his family and friends had been killed one by one." I began, hating myself for what I was about to say. He just nodded.

"He... made me do it too. He made me tell Munkustrap that Jemima was dead, he even made me give Munkustrap her collar, which he had covered in blood. He made me let him think that it might have been me that killed her." I explained brokenly. The maned tom just looked at me, I couldn't understand his expression.

"I had no choice, I had to tell him. It was a punishment for me, I refused to do... something, and he forced me to do this instead. He knew how much it would hurt me, to lie to my friend, let him think such a terrible thing. He also knew that it would be a double blow to Munkustrap," I paused, taking a deep breath and controlling my emotions, "His daughter was dead, and I had betrayed him. It was at that moment, when he seemed to have given up all hope. He'd lost everything, and that's how he ended up like this. It was all my fault, I'm a coward. I should have refused, I should have stood up to him, I should have..." I was shouting now, my anger directed only at myself. I stopped though, when Tugger put his paw on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, for everything. I know that's not nearly enough, but I am. I'm going to help him, help the tribe, or die trying." I whispered.

"It's enough for now. We'll get through to him, he'll be okay." Tugger said. I relaxed a little, but I couldn't share in his confidence, which I suspected was more for his own benefit than mine anyway.


	4. Chapter 4 To Find A Magician

**A/n: **I'd like to say thanks to Zosia for reviewing, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I promise there will be much much more of this. is currently working on chapter 10. I hope it's not too confusing, and like you said, if the reader is paying attention, it shouldn't be! But, just to be sure, if it's first person then it's either Tugger or Alonzo and that's going to be obvious as people rarely think about themselves in the third person... Also thanks to my other reviewers as well, it's nice. Anyways, here be chapter four, so enjoy and please tell me what you think, good or bad I'd appreciate feedback as always.

**Chapter 4 - To Find a Magician**

Another important thing that we had to do was find Mistoffelees, or at least what had happened to him. Alonzo was adamant that Macavity had nothing to do with it, he'd just vanished but whether of his own accord or not, he had no idea. Either way, we had to find him, even though we couldn't even agree on when he had actually disappeared.

"We have to find out who was the last one to see him, maybe they know something useful." I suggested. Alonzo shrugged and agreed with me.

"How do we go about doing that?" he asked, sounding doubtful.

"Simple," I said, smirking slightly, "We ask." Alonzo rolled his eyes, I knew what he was thinking. I'd noticed that he was avoiding the rest of the tribe as much as he could, only speaking when someone spoke to him. He didn't ever meet anyone's eyes, and he knew what we-, they were saying about him. He would have to face them at some point, some things were more important than his current popularity among the tribe, or lack there of.

I shot him a warning glare, just to remind him that he had to do it. He flinched, he actually flinched. My eyes widened in shock, he wasn't actually afraid of me, was he?

"Fine." he conceded. We made our way around the Junkyard, gathering the tribe together again. I decided it would be easier than going around and asking everyone individually. that was probably my first mistake. When they were finally all gathered in the main clearing, I addressed them.

"I think it's time we find out what happened to Mistoffelees. We know that Macavity didn't do anything to him, but had also made sure he couldn't escape on his own. We need to know what happened, and we need to find out when he actually disappeared." I began, looking around at them all.

"You're sure it wasn't Macavity?" someone spoke up, a queen's voice. I looked at Bombalurina, still as beautiful as she ever was but at the same time she looked weary, drained. I guess we all did to some extent, even me.

"I'm sure. If he'd done it, he wouldn't have been so pissed off about it." I replied.

"What about him?" the scarlet queen spat, pointing at Alonzo, who blanched when they all turned to glare at him. I sensed danger, and was ready to intervene, but the patched tom did nothing but sigh.

"When could I have done anything? How? He was keeping such a close watch on me, I couldn't even breathe without him knowing about it. How would I have had the opportunity to do anything to Mistoffelees?" he retorted, eyeing Bombalurina defiantly.

"How the hell would we know? We never saw you, unless you were..." the red queen had begun shouting, but she apparently couldn't say what Alonzo was. Both she and Alonzo looked away from each other, she looked hurt, he looked guilty. Again. Damn it, what the hell had been going on around here?

"Enough!" I growled, and they all snapped back to looking at me, many of them seemed surprised at my outburst. In any other situation, I'd have laughed. "I'm certain Macavity didn't do it, and Alonzo is on our side. It won't do us any good to start fighting amongst ourselves. Whatever he's done," I indicated to the patched tom, who was still staring at the ground, "It's in the past now. We need all the help we can get, there are more important things to do now. We need to find Mistoffelees, and we need to help Munkustrap." I finished dramatically. There was a collective gasp from the assembled cats, followed by mutterings of 'He's alive? Munkustrap's alive?' I called them all to silence again.

"Yes, he's alive. He needs help, but he's alive. I would have told you before, but if Macavity found out that I knew he was alive..." I explained, glancing at Alonzo again.

"We also have to find Mistoffelees. Who was last to see him?" I announced, and was answered by a confusing babble of shouting, everyone talking at once and I couldn't make out any one of them.

"One at a time!" I shouted over the top of the noise. I soon realised why Alonzo had been less than enthusiastic about this task. It was a nightmare trying to sort it all out. Finally, we knew when everyone had last seen the conjurer and Alonzo and I sat down and went through it all, sorting out the timeline as best we could, with the occasional help of the others. Finally we had it.

What we had made no sense at all. Apparently, he'd vanished from the face of the Earth for three hours, then he'd been seen in five different places at the same time. I know he has magic, but he couldn't use it so it made even less sense. He seemed to have vanished after that point though, so I just figured that some cats were confused about times. It would have been understandable, considering recent events. The strange thing is, no-one saw him leave. He seemed fine, from what those who had last spoken to him said. He'd certainly been fine the last time I'd spoken to him. I couldn't think of any reason for him to just up and leave, without telling us or trying to take us with him. What with Alonzo's continuing concerns about who had managed to kill Macavity, I was pretty sure that it hadn't been Mistoffelees' choice to leave.

That conjured up a whole host of new worst-case-scenarios in my mind. I was pretty sure that he'd been taken, kit-napped. I couldn't think who else would have something against him, why they would do such a thing. Did the Jellicle tribe have another enemy, apart from Macavity? Or was it an enemy of Macavity's that had done this? What did they want with Mistoffelees? Why did they take him? What did they do to him? Was he alive? Millions of questions ran through my head, driving me mad. I didn't have the answers, I didn't even know where to begin looking for them.

* * *

The tuxedo patterned tomcat walked along the pavement, cautious and alert. His ears twitched at every sound, and his eyes darted from side to side. He was trying his best to look like he knew where he was going, but in actuality, Mistoffelees had absolutely no idea where he was. He'd found himself in this strange town a couple of days ago, and still wasn't sure how he'd ended up here. He was looking for a way back to London, he didn't have the energy to use his magic. He was afraid to go back, Macavity would be livid that he'd vanished, the ginger tom would probably kill him. But how could he stay away, leave his family and friends to stew in this mess on their own?

The small conjurer let out a yelp of pain and surprise as he was tackled from behind. He landed hard on the ground, hissing in fear, but before he could even think about getting up never mind retaliating, something heavy sat on top of him holding him down. He tried to twist around, get a look at his attacker. No, his attackers. There were more of them, but he saw nothing but dark shapes moving around him as his face was forced into the concrete. All he knew was that they were feline. Then all he knew was pain, as he was scratched and beaten, was that agonized yowl really coming from him? Finally the pain subsided, and everything went black, Mistoffelees knew nothing more.


	5. Chapter 5  Give Me A Clue

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter. Minor language in this one, but nothing really bad. Again thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming. I like feedback, and I'm always trying to improve my writing, so con-crit is not only okay, it's encouraged. Not much else to say at the moment, but my website is due an update soon so watch this space. It will also include a fanfic contest, hopefully.

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**Chapter 5** –** Give Me A Clue**

I woke up after a restless sleep. I couldn't get the image of my brother out of my head. I wanted so much to help him, I needed his help. I couldn't do this alone, and I couldn't trust the only source of help I had. Macavity's death should have been a blessing, but nothing had changed. I'd come to a decision, as if my brain had been working on it while I slept. We had to find out who, or what had killed Macavity. I got up, stretched and left my den to find the one cat that had had the most contact with him.

"Alonzo." I called, standing outside his den. I heard a sleepy groan, but no answer, "Alonzo!" I tried again, louder this time.

"What?" he finally answered.

"Get your furry black and white tail out here now." I ordered. I didn't have time for this. A tired looking black and white face finally appeared.

"What is it Tugger?" he said again, trying not to sound annoyed.

"We need to find out who killed Macavity. Come on, get moving." I said. He groaned again, but he came out of his den.

"What do you want me to do?" he said. I noticed that he was not looking at me. He sat in front of me, his tail laying tucked around him and his ears drooping slightly. It was a very passive, submissive kind of pose. It was weird, not the Alonzo I used to know. Normally, if I'd spoken to him like that, I'd have got much more than an annoyed groan in response.

"Look for clues." I said. In reality, I had no idea where to start, but I figured the best place would be the scene of the crime. Wasn't that what they did on those police drama's the humans watch on that television thing?

Together we walked to Macavity's old den. He wasn't there anymore, but his scent still hung on the air, along with the unmistakable smell of blood. I shivered and started looking around, seeing if there was anything that looked out of place. The place was dark, but not dank or dusty like I would have expected. You would expect someone like Macavity to live in squalour, where evil belongs in my opinion. It wasn't tidy, it looked like a bomb had hit it to be honest, but whether the clutter was from a struggle of some kind, or whether it was just a reflection of my brother's 'personality', I couldn't tell. The place just had an atmosphere that gave me the creeps.

I didn't notice anything particularly unusual, but I didn't know what the den used to look like when it was still being used. Apparently Alonzo did, he paused in a couple of places, taking a closer look. I let him get on with it, while I searched the other side of the den, trying to avoid the congealed pool of blood that had been left behind where Macavity had died. There was a pawprint in it, but that wouldn't tell us much. It could have been the killers, but it could have been Macavity's, Alonzo's, even Admetus' or Plato's from when they were moving him. I hoped it wasn't mine.

"Tugger!" My head snapped up when Alonzo called my name, "Come and look at this," he said.

"What is it?" I asked curiously, making my way over.

"I have no idea, but I don't think it belongs here either," he replied, holding out a piece of yellowed paper, or was it parchment? I took it from him, and took a good look at it. There was nothing written on it, not like I'd be able to read it anyway. The only thing on it was a strange picture of some kind, like a symbol, in what looked to be gold ink. I couldn't be sure what it was, but it almost looked to me like a human queen, but with feathered wings. At the same time, she looked sort of feline. It didn't mean anything to me.

"I've never seen that before. No idea what it means?" I asked. Alonzo shook his head.

"Nope. I've never seen it before either. I wonder what it is." He replied, looking at the parchment in my paws as if he was waiting for it to start talking and tell him the answer.

I folded up the piece of parchment, and tucked it into my belt. There would be someone out there that knew what this meant. It was a clue, even if we couldn't understand it. We'd found nothing else, so I left the den. The smell was getting to me. Alonzo followed, watching me expectantly. That was disconcerting.

"What?" I almost laughed at the look of surprise on his face when I spoke.

"Are you waiting for something?" I asked again. He looked away from me, looked at the ground. I saw a faint trace of pink on the white parts of his face. I didn't want to laugh anymore. Apparently Munkustrap wasn't the only one that Macavity had messed with.

"I thought you might have something else you wanted me to do." He muttered quietly. I almost didn't hear him.

"No. I'm going to ask Skimbleshanks about this symbol. He knows lots of weird stuff, from his travels, so maybe he'll have more to tell about this, whatever the hell it is." I said. He didn't speak; he just nodded at the ground. I sighed. This leadership thing was harder than I thought it would be, and I knew it wouldn't be easy.

"You might as well come with me, if you've nothing better to do." I said.

"Okay." He replied. I shook my head, this was weird. He was not the Alonzo I used to know, that was for sure. Alonzo wouldn't have taken orders from me like that, he was never this quiet, or... submissive. It's the only word I can use to describe it, and it made me wonder what Macavity had done to him, it was like he'd broken his spirit. Not as much as he had to Munkustrap, but it was almost like he'd been conditioned to take orders without question. Everlasting Cat only knows how my brother had done this, Alonzo had always had a lot of spirit, he was almost arrogant and it must have taken a lot of work to destroy that.

We headed for the main clearing in the Junkyard. I knew Skimbleshanks would be about somewhere, he hadn't gone back to the train station as far as I knew. I finally spotted the marmalade tom sitting on the car talking to Jennyanydots. We walked over, and sat down.

"Hey Skimble, Jenny, how's things?" I greeted the two cats.

"No bad, Tugger. Been better." Skimbleshanks replied. Jennyanydots didn't speak, but she smiled warmly at me, and then threw Alonzo a glare. I decided to ignore that for now, but I noticed Alonzo flinch slightly.

"I need to ask you something." I began, pulling the piece of parchment we found out of my belt, "Have you ever seen this before?"

He took it from me, and looked at it carefully for a few minutes before he answered me.

"Aye, it looks familiar. I cannae think where exactly I saw it, but it mighta been in Scotland somewhere." He finally said. "Mebbe Glasgow. But it's a big city, coulda bin anywhere."

I groaned before I could stop myself. Glasgow? I really didn't want to have to search a whole city, or travel that far north.

"I'm headed there in a coupla days. I'll have a look around for you, see if I kin mind where I saw it. Where'd ye find it onyway?" the marmalade tom asked.

"Macavity's bed." Alonzo answered, "We think it might have been left by whoever killed him."

Skimbleshanks turned his green eyes onto Alonzo, who quickly looked away. I'm surprised he can look any of us in the eye.

"I'm no sure whit tae make o'that, but I'll see whit I can find out." He said.

"Thanks, Skimble. I…" I was cut off by a loud growl from Alonzo, who was now glaring in the direction of the main entrance, his fur all puffed out. I looked up to see three large dogs stalking towards where we were, where most of the cats were assembled.

"Shit." I cursed. Alonzo had jumped down from the car, and he was facing up to the Pollicles, his teeth and claws bared, his muscles rippling with the anticipation of the battle. I jumped down to join him, and we were also surrounded by several strong toms from the tribe. Plato, Admetus, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and several who used to be Macavity's henchcats. We were all prepared to fight, but I sent two of the toms to help get the kittens and the queens out of the way. Meanwhile, we were to distract, and try and get rid of the dogs.

We watched as one of them came forward, growling. Alonzo, who seemed possessed, growled back at it before leaping straight for its throat with his claws extended. That was all it took for the other two to attack, and for us to retaliate.


	6. Chapter 6  The First Step To Recovery

**A/N: **Here be chapter 6 for your reading pleasure. There are OC's in this, sort of. I would explain more but I'd rather you just read it. This one is kinda transitional, and it's split three ways. However, I have just finished writing chapter 11, so there should be more on the way soon. As always, I like feedback.

**Chapter 6 - The First Step To Recovery**

I woke up, not sure where I was. I soon wished I hadn't, as the pain from numerous cuts, bruises and a couple of broken ribs came back to me. Damn dogs. I opened my eyes, and looked around. I was in what might have been a car. Everything was fuzzy, I couldn't focus my eyes. A gold and black blur came into view.

"He's awake, Jenny!" the shout cut through my head, doubling my headache.

"Tugger?" My voice sounded weak, I cringed. It hadn't been that bad, surely.

"You'll be okay, just take your time." Yes, it was Tugger.

"What happened? The… the dogs?" I asked.

"We got rid of them. Take it easy." He replied. I shook my head a little, as my vision started to clear.

"I'm fine. Is everyone else okay?" I asked, forcing myself to sit up, despite the pain it caused me.

"Yeah, they're fine. The queens and kittens got away safe, there's a couple of minor injuries, Plato's got a broken leg but he'll be fine and I've got a new scar that Etcy says makes me look tough." Tugger replied, smirking. I laughed, but quickly stopped because of the agony it caused me. Still, it was good to see Tugger getting back to his old self.

"That's good." I replied.

"You're an idiot." He said suddenly, looking at me in a strange way. I couldn't read his expression.

"What?" I replied.

"You almost got yourself killed, what the hell were you thinking attacking first like that?" he said. I shook my head again, confused.

"They were going to attack us. I was defending the tribe, it's my job." I replied. All he did was sigh, I knew he wasn't satisfied with that answer, but what else could I give him?

"Okay. Get some rest Alonzo. I'm going to see Munkus," he said. I looked up, but couldn't think of what to say. I could see in his eyes, this leadership thing was hard on him. He was scared, doubting himself. I'm not surprised, Tugger always said he was never cut out to be a leader. He was doing a better job than he thought, but there was no point telling him that. He wouldn't believe me anyway. I watched him leave the car, wondering what was going to happen to us all. At that moment Jennyanydots came over with some catnip, nature's painkiller, and the best way to forget your troubles if you ask me. So that's what I did.

* * *

I made my way to Munkustrap's den. I don't know quite why I was doing it, but I couldn't help it. I felt like I'd lost everything. I needed him, and he wasn't here to help me and it was all Macavity's fault. Mother should have wrung his neck at birth. Then we wouldn't be in this mess, and Munkustrap would be Leader and I could go back to being the tribe stud. 

I entered the den, carrying some food for him. He did eat, like Alonzo assured me he would. He didn't eat much though, and I was getting worried. He was so thin, he was skeletal, a shadow of his former self. I couldn't help wondering how long he had left. If we couldn't snap him out of this, he probably didn't have long.

I'd taken to visiting him several times a day. I took over Alonzo's job of bringing him food. I'd sit there, and talk to him. He never answered, and I don't think he could hear me. I couldn't help it though; it depressed me more and more every time, to see him like this. I had to though, I wanted so much to get through to him, to help him. I didn't know what else to do. If Mistoffelees was here, maybe he could help.

We hadn't come any closer to finding out what happened to him. As far as we know he just vanished into thin air. Maybe he did.

I talked to Munkustrap, told him about the tribe, everything that was going on. I told him that Demeter was doing fine; Jemima was growing up into a beautiful young queen. Everything and anything I could think of, I told him. I just wished he could hear me. I told him all about Macavity's death, the Pollicle attack. I thought that might jolt him back to his senses. Everything I tried failed. I was about ready to give up on him.

I told him I missed him, the tribe missed him. I told him that I needed him. I sounded like a sap, and I'll never admit to anyone that I said all those things. I told him I loved him, he's my brother, I couldn't leave him like this. I nearly fainted when he looked at me. I saw his ear twitch in my direction, and he looked at me. I couldn't tell if he was seeing me, his eyes were still blank, dead, but he turned to face me.

He slowly turned away again, back to staring at nothing. I was too shocked to say anything else for a moment, but I kept trying. I mentioned Demeter, Jemima, everyone he had been close to. Nothing. He didn't move again. I left him at that point; it hurt to walk away from him. I felt a little more hopeful though, he'd responded. That had to be a good sign. Maybe he would be okay after all. Maybe there was hope for the Jellicle tribe.

* * *

Mistoffelees woke up with a thumping headache. He lay where he was, his eyes closed. He could feel pain in several places. The memories of the attack washed over him, which explained the injuries. He registered a number of scents, none of which were familiar to him. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was warm, and reasonably comfortable. He was in a house of some sort. 

He gasped and sat up. He was being watched. He was in a big room that was warm and had a faint smell of food. There was a large black range which was warming the place, and large copper pans. A kitchen? He looked around at who was watching him, or maybe what was watching him. There was a strange group of animals in this room, all of them watching him intently. It was disconcerting, especially the snake with its unblinking stare. There was also a rabbit, a deer, a pig and to Mistoffelees' horror what looked like a dog but bigger and much more vicious.

"Who are you?" he said, immediately getting to his feet. His fur was on end to make his smallish frame look bigger, and he shrank back in fear.

"Relaxssss," the snake hissed, "We won't harm you."

"Where am I?" Mistoffelees asked, not entirely reassured by the snakes words.

"Safe." The pig said. Mistoffelees was still very uneasy. That wasn't much of an answer.

"What happened then? Last thing I remember I was being attacked, by cats. How did I get here?" the tux persisted. He didn't trust these animals, not one bit. Especially that dog, no. That was a wolf, he realized. That just made it worse.

"We found you, or that is Freki did. He brought you here." The rabbit said, indicating the wolf.

Mistoffelees stared open mouthed at the rabbit, who laughed at his shocked expression.

"You didn't think he'd eat you or something, did you?" the rabbit said, still laughing. Mistoffelees shook his head.

"Of course not, it's just I've never been helped by a… a canine before." He stuttered.

"He hasn't eaten me, so you'll be fine." The rabbit said, still laughing. "I'm Diazi by the way. That's Situla," she said, pointing at the snake. "Scrofa is the pig, and that's Cerva behind me." She continued, pointing out each animal in turn as she introduced them.

The tuxedoed tom was still intimidated. He considered giving them a false name but cats were very proud of their names and he felt it would be dishonourable to use another name. He didn't see what good it would do him to lie anyway.

"I'm … I'm Mistoffelees."


	7. Chapter 7 Progress for Progress' Sake

**A/n: **I'm terribly sorry for the extreme lateness of updates. Uni stuff has been crazy, and I lost my creativity completely for a while. Everything's back to normal now though, and I'm on holiday so to make up for the lateness, I'm giving you two chapters in one. This one is sort of a filler but each chapter is important of course. As always, I love hearing what people think, love it or hate it, feedback makes my day. Also as a special Holiday Treat, I've got a new piece coming, I'll be updating He Too Had Stol'n Away aaaand I've got a massive update for my website on the way complete with shiny new layout. So watch this space. This one, right here  . Enjoy. (I swear, Cats is not mine, I promise!)

**Chapter 7** – **Progress for Progress' Sake**

Alonzo seemed to be doing better. He'd been badly hurt in that fight with the Pollicles. He was like a tom possessed, attacking so ferociously. I'd seen him in plenty of fights before, but I'd never seen him like that. I was so sure that the dogs would rip him apart, but he's on the mend now. The rest of us are as well. Plato's human took him to the vet, and he came back with a cast on his leg. The rest of the injuries were pretty minor. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus milked it as much as they could, they loved having the queens fawning over them, admiring their new scars.

It wasn't a cause for concern for me, the Pollicle attack. As far as I knew, it was just a random attack. It happens now and again. We got rid of them, that was the main thing. They wouldn't be back in a hurry. Things seemed to be finally getting back to normal. Even I was growing into my new role. Being the Leader wasn't so bad, I guess I can shoulder some responsibility after all.

I was still visiting Munkustrap several times a day. He was still out of it, but I kept it up. He'd responded once, and I was sure that if I kept this up, I could get him to respond again. I had hope, and I wasn't going to give up on him.

One day while I was in my brother's den, I realized that I had never tried making physical contact with him. I couldn't think why, but something had held me back before. He'd responded when I said something affectionate before. I wondered what would happen if I touched him. I had to try. I laid a gentle paw on his shoulder, still talking to him while I did that. He flinched and hissed at me. Not quite what I was hoping for, but it was another response. I tried again, talking gently to him, trying to reassure him.

"Munkustrap, sshhh. It's me, it's Tugger." I put my paw on his shoulder again, and he flinched again, turning to look at me with his dead eyes. I looked into his yellow eyes, looking for some sign of recognition, something to tell me that he knew I was there. I thought I saw something, could he see me? Did he realize I was there?

"Munkustrap?" I said. His ear flicked, he heard me! Yet he didn't answer. I sighed. I was sure I'd gotten somewhere with him, but I supposed it would take time. I left him, with renewed hope. I didn't want to leave, but I had to speak with Skimbleshanks before he left for the trains. I made my way back to the central clearing, feeling better than I had in months. It looked like things would start getting back to normal. I found the ginger tom, who was preparing to leave for the train.

"You ready to go then Skimble?" I asked as I approached.

"Aye, just about. I'll be back in about three days, and it'll be good tae spend some time in Glasgow." he replied in his strong Scottish accent. It seemed to be more pronounced than usual, probably just because he was going back there.

"Have a good time at home then." I said grinning, "I hope you can find out more about this symbol, but don't put yourself in danger over it." I added, more seriously.

"I'll be fine, lad. I think I might remember where I saw it, so I'll see whit I can do." the marmalade tabby replied.

"Thanks Skimble." I replied.

"No problem. I have tae go and say bye to Jenny before I leave. Look after yerselves, I'll see you in a couple o'days." Skimbleshanks replied and walked away to visit his mate. I saw him ten minutes later, heading for the gate, on his way to the station. I hoped he'd be okay, and I hoped he'd have some good news for us when he got back. I sat down and sighed, watching over the tribe members as they sat and talked, or played with various pieces of junk.

I'd slipped into a light doze, when someone called my name. Alonzo. I opened my eyes to see the black and white tom walking towards me. He was with two tiger tabbies, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer. He looked upset, and I could see that Mungojerrie was walking with a slight limp.

"What's going on?" I asked, as they reached me. Alonzo sat down, looking grim. Rumpelteazer seemed worried and scared, and she fussed over Mungojerrie's wounds. He'd been in a fight and I was sure that whoever he had fought with, had come off a lot worse.

"I got some bad news for ya, Tugger." the striped tom began, "I found out something about that Pollicle attack the other day."

That got my attention.

"What did you find out?" I asked, encouraging him to go on, but dreading what I was about to be told.

"It was no accident. From what I 'eard, someone planned it. I dunno 'ow, but apparently someone sent those dogs 'ere to attack us." he explained in his strong cockney accent.

"Damn. Did you find out who?" I persisted. He shook his head.

"No. Tha's the thing. Everyone seems to know that someone set the 'ole fing up, but nobody knows anyfing 'bout who it was." he replied.

"Damn it." I cursed, "Thanks Mungo, at least we know now. What happened to you anyway?" I said, indicating Rumpelteazer who was still cleaning up various scratches.

"Nothing to worry about Tugger. Just some idiot who thought he could start summat with me. It's mental out there, since word got around about Macavity. Riots and what not, everyone's panickin' because he got murdered. I'll be alright." he explained. That worried me, but it wasn't altogether surprising. Macavity had been murdered, it was so unexpected. Many had thought about it, I'm sure, but I doubt there would have been many who would have actually attempted it never mind succeeding in finishing him off.

"As long as you're alright Mungo. Take care if you go back out there." I said, knowing that I wouldn't be able to convince him not to go back onto the streets.

"You know me Tugger, I always stay out of trouble." he replied with a cocky grin. I laughed, and Rumpelteazer batted him gently.

"Come on Jer, we should go eat, and you gotta rest." she said.

"Alright, I'm coming." he replied, "See ya later Tug,"

"See you." I said, as they padded off towards their den.

"So much for things getting better." I muttered to Alonzo who had sat there the whole time in silence. He laughed nervously.

"Looks like it's just getting started, who would have done it?" he said quietly.

"We'll just have to wait and see." I replied. I had the feeling that he was right, it was just the beginning and there was worse to come. I hoped to the Everlasting Cat that Skimbleshanks would come back with something to help us.


	8. Chapter 8 Glasgow's Miles Better

**A/n: **Ah, my favourite chapter so far. Mainly because I get to write about some of my favourite places. Note that although the places I describe here are real, the name and quote are not – as far as I know anyway, since I made them up they shouldn't be real and it's pure coincidence if they are. It's also very exciting because the wonderful Skimble gets a whole chapter to himself because he's just awesome! Enjoy your trip to Scotland folks! Oh and I still don't own Cats, or Glasgow, or Burger King.

**Chapter 8 - Glasgow's Miles Better**

Skimbleshanks carried out his usual duties on the Northern Mail train, helping the passengers, catching the mice. He was anxious to get to Glasgow though, he had more pressing matters on his mind than the train that he spent so much time on. He was already standing at the door when the train finally pulled into Queen Street Station. He leaped on to the platform, mewed a quick goodbye to the train conductor and took off. He slipped under the ticket barriers, a new feature that had appeared since his last visit to Glasgow, and took in the familiar scents of the station. He could smell the coffee coming from the coffee shop, and the tantalising scents of burgers and fries from Burger King.

He made his way past the fast food restaurant, and slipped between the humans, out of the door and onto the street. He was on George Street, he remembered and he paused to look out over George's Square. The streets were bustling with people, all kinds of people walked past and around him, but no one payed the marmalade tom any notice. He crossed the road amidst a group of humans, and headed over to the Square. He paused to admire the beauty of it, especially the large building that he knew as the City Chambers. He was reminded of just how much he loved this city.

Skimbleshanks had always loved George's Square. It was right in the centre of everything, and looked amazing at Christmas time, with all the lights and decorations around it. He had often spent hours just sunbathing on the grass there, watching all the people going by and idly wondering where they were going and what they were doing. He admired the statue and often spent time looking at the War Memorial as well. It was September, he remembered, and he knew that in a couple of months time, that memorial would be covered in poppies. He had been there one Sunday, and lots of people had come and laid poppies there, and he had watched the proceedings. He had worked out that they were remembering those that had been killed in wars that had happened many years ago. He had marveled at how things like that had brought the people together, united in their remembrance. He understood it more today, than he had then.

His tribe had suffered under the ruthless paws of Macavity, but they'd become closer because of it. The Memorial had reminded him of this, which reminded him of what he had come here to do. He suddenly remembered the symbol, and with a gasp he remembered seeing it here, in this very square. He looked around hoping that something would jog his memory. He was sure that it was on one of the benches. There were several memorial benches around the square, for people to sit on. They all had little plaques on them, dedicating them to people who had died.

Skimbleshanks made his way over to the nearest bench, and jumped up onto it, so that he could look at the inscription on the small brass plaque. He didn't see anything noteworthy, so he moved along to the next one. When he reached the fourth bench, he still hadn't found it, but he was reluctant to approach the fifth bench as there were two humans sitting on it. He waited, and stared at them until they moved. They soon did, whether it was because of those glass-green eyes staring at them or they had to go anyway the marmalade tom couldn't be sure, but he took his chance anyway and smoothly jumped up onto the bench.

"Aha! I found it." he said loudly, then glanced around. No-one seemed to have heard the cat's excited cry, so he looked more closely at the small brass plaque. It was slightly tarnished, like it had been there for a while, but Skimbleshanks could still make out the symbol on it, which was exactly the same as the one that had been left in Macavity's den. He looked at the name inscribed on the bench, the date was unreadable but the name was easy to make out.

"R. F. Chattan" Skimbleshanks read out loud. The name stirred something in his memory. He remembered seeing that name somewhere else, somewhere not too far from here. It was in the city, he was certain, although in a place that didn't seem like part of a city. He remembered the smell of alcohol, he remembered trees, and he remembered the sound of a large, busy road close by. It hit him, The Necropolis. That's where he'd seen it before. He had often gone walking around the Necropolis, it was good for hunting as well. There was a wonderful view of the city from up there, at the top of the hill, and the sight of the Cathedral at night was breathtaking. He had always loved walking through it in the Autumn, when all the leaves turned golden and fell off the trees, decorating the graves and making the place feel warmer somehow.

Skimbleshanks slipped down from the bench, and made his way along George Street, heading towards the Cathedral and the old graveyard, skillfully dodging the cars and the people as he made his way along the streets. It took a while, he'd forgotten how long the walk was for a cat, but he soon saw the graveyard ahead of him. He slipped through the old gate, and made his way along one of the stony paths, looking around and admiring the place. He was also looking out for something that might give him a clue as to where he had seen that name before, since searching this entire place would take him a week, if he didn't sleep.

He reached the top of the hill, and looked out over that big road, which he remembered was called a motorway, and then he turned around and saw the brewery. He could smell the scent of beer and hops coming from it. He took a deep breath, and started looking around, walking between the gravestones, and climbing over some that had fallen. He glared with disgust at the ones that had been vandalised by kids, there was something wrong about defacing a headstone like that as far as Skimbleshanks was concerned.

As the marmalade tabby made his way around the graveyard, he spotted a headstone that made him pause. It was old looking, and was one of those tall column-shaped ones with a statue perched on top of it. He had thought that the statue was what the humans called an angel, at first, but as he walked closer, he realised it was very similar to the symbol that Tugger had shown him. He reached the front of the headstone, and climbed up to take a closer look at the inscription. He gasped out loud when he saw the name, it was the same one as the one on the bench. His eyes moved to the words inscribed underneath the name.

"The black cat watches, magic in his paws and fire in his eyes, feral as any wildcat, he laughs at the chaos he created." he read it aloud, several times, but he was not sure what to make of it. It was odd to find cats being mentioned on a human grave, never mind magic as well. Wildcats were mentioned as well, but Skimbleshanks had never met a wildcat before so he had no idea what that meant. It was strange, but the mention of magic might be something. He started to wonder if Mistoffelees' disappearance and Macavity's death were connected after all, and he knew he would remember these words. He wondered if Tugger would make any more sense out of them, but he would pass it on anyway. He sighed, and after one last look at the headstone, he decided to make his way back to Queen Street station, where he could think of some food, and a nice long sleep before leaving on the train the next evening. As he stood up, he spotted a stag in the distance at the top of the hill, it seemed to be watching him. It was quite a sight, standing tall and proud, a dark silhouette against the deep orange-pink of the evening sky. He watched as it turned away, he'd heard that there were deer living here, but he'd never seen them before.

Skimbleshanks made his way down the path, towards the gate he'd come through earlier. He would have to get back to the station soon, before they started worrying about him. Humans were terrible for worrying sometimes. He had almost reached the gate, when he caught the sound of gravel crunching behind him, over and above the sound of his own paws on the stony path. He paused and tensed, immediately whipping around. What he saw behind him was the biggest tomcat he'd ever seen in his life. A tall, heavily built and well muscled brown and black tabby, growling deeply at him. The tom had a wild look in his golden eyes, like nothing Skimbleshanks had ever seen before. Before he could do anything else, the tom had leaped at him, and the marmalade tabby had met the attack face on, with his sharp claws and glistening fangs bared, ready to fight back.


	9. Chapter 9 Help Is Hard To Find

**A/n:** Here's the next chapter, which is sort of a transition chapter really. However, it is also an important one. Also, if anyone is wondering about Alonzo, I thought I'd plug one of my other stories that could possibly tie in with this one. It's a oneshot, graphic, slash and rated R/NC-17 so be warned, but it can be found on the Bordello and it's called Under Orders. Aside from that, not much more to say – so read, review, you know the drill.

**Chapter 9 – Help is Hard to Find**

"... and the next thing I knew, I woke up here." Mistoffelees finished his story with a sigh. The strange assortment of animals had listened intently as he explained about Macavity, and the Jellicles. He was anxious to get back, to help them, but he didn't know where to start. He was pretty sure he could trust these animals by now, they'd been kind and saved his life. Perhaps they could help, get Macavity out of the Junkyard for good. Mistoffelees didn't know, but there was no harm in trying.

"I need to get back to my tribe, they need my help." he explained, hoping one of them would offer a solution.

"We might be able to help, but that depends on whether you're prepared to help us." Freki spoke up first, and Mistoffelees turned to stare at the wolf, taken aback by the slight warning in his tone.

"Well, you helped me, so if I can do something to help you in return, then I will," the tuxedo tom answered nervously, Freki still frightened him a lot.

"Glad to hear it," Diazi piped up cheerfully.

"What do you need help with?" Mistoffelees asked now more curious than scared. If they could help him think of a way to get rid of Macavity, he was happy to help them out first.

"Tell me, have you ever heard the ssstories of the Scottish wildcats?" Situla hissed, lifting her head so that she was eye-to-eye with the tomcat, her forked tongue flicking out every couple of seconds. Mistoffelees shook his head, watching the snake now.

"No. What about them?"

-------------------

The marmalade tabby tom hissed in pain as the train shook roughly. With a groan, he made another attempt to pull off that bright blue sticky stuff wrapped around his front paw. It was annoying, but he couldn't get it off. The disgruntled Skimbleshanks was forced to leave it alone. His train journey back to London had so far been a very uncomfortable one, due to his various injuries. Those injections the vet had given him, and the tablets that he was forced to take didn't help much. He was somewhat relieved he'd been found, and recognised, by one of the ticket collectors from the station. After the fight with that other cat Skimble had found himself with a broken leg, among other things, and he was sure he would have died had the human not found him. He had even been glad of the trip to the vet, if only to get his wounds cleaned up.

He had no idea what had happened to that tomcat, but Skimble had come very close to losing the fight. He was relieved now, to be on his way back to London, to the Junkyard. He'd been exempt from his normal duties on the train, which was nice. The conductor had said something about him getting some rest. He couldn't get comfortable on the chair, because of his injuries, and decided it might be nice to find something to eat. They were still an hour away from London after all. He got to his feet, rather unsteadily, and carefully climbed down from the seat, biting his lower lip to keep from yowling with the pain. He finally made it to the floor and limped out of the compartment and down the corridor, hoping to find some food somewhere.

Some nice humans in the first class compartment dropped Skimble a few titbits, probably feeling sorry for the poor cat, with all his injuries. He let them pet him, and fuss over him for a while, until the on-train announcement sounded that they were approaching King's Cross and would be arriving in five minutes. Skimbleshanks planned to go straight back to the Junkyard to report what he'd found, so he left the compartment and sat patiently by the door until the train stopped. When the doors opened, he jumped straight down onto the platform and took off through the station before any of the humans could stop him. It took much longer than it normally did, but he soon saw the Junkyard ahead of him the gates orange in the glow from the streetlights.

I was pacing again, something that I found myself doing more and more these days. It helps while away the time when I'm waiting for something. Which I was. Skimbleshanks had been due back hours ago, he was usually back before dark. He said he'd be back today, and I couldn't help worrying about him. Skimble was the most reliable tom I knew, he was never late.

Alonzo was watching me pace, silent and expressionless and sitting in what looked to me like a very uncomfortable position but it didn't seem to bother him. He spent most of his time at my side, I was the only Jellicle he would speak to voluntarily and the only one that would speak to him. He knew what he was doing, and I valued his advice so I didn't mind him being there. I had realised that he'd been just as hurt by Macavity's rule as the rest of us, despite what it had looked like to us. There was no way to explain that to the tribe though, they wouldn't understand. I didn't understand but I wanted to. Anytime I had asked, tried to get him to talk to me about it, he closed off and simply wouldn't speak. I glanced sideways at the patched tom, not pausing in my pacing. He didn't move. It was just too weird.

My thoughts returned to Munkustrap, I hadn't made any more progress with him and I was at a loss for what to do. Hopefully Skimbleshanks had found something useful, but he wasn't here yet. Immediately my mind was back to going over the worst case scenarios. What if he'd been attacked by Pollicles? What if something else had happened? It was driving me mad.

"Tugger."

I barely heard Alonzo's voice and didn't notice that it was my name he'd said or maybe I thought I was imagining it.

"Tugger!"

Louder this time, I did hear it and stopped to look at him. He said nothing more but simply pointed behind me, towards the Junkyard gates before returning to his earlier pose as if he'd be hurt if he didn't. I shook my head, ignoring that for now and turned to look where he'd pointed. Oh shit. I was torn between relief and panic and a mixture of both. On one hand, I was thanking Heaviside that Skimble was okay, on the other he had clearly been injured and badly. That limp was obvious a mile away, and that was without the bright blue bandaging wrapped around his paw. I had always hated that stuff. I ran over to greet him and to help him.

"What happened?" I asked urgently as I reached the marmalade tom.

"A fight, I'm fine." He dismissed, but it didn't stop him leaning on me for support. I knew he had lots to tell me, and something made me think that it was not all going to be good. I put a paw around his shoulders to help him to the tyre where we could sit and talk.

Alonzo quickly followed us and between us we helped the older tom get onto the tyre and sit down. Alonzo then sat down next to him, being careful to keep his distance and assuming that same posture he'd sat in earlier. I'd only really started noticing these little things, they were far from overt but it was starting to concern me. On the plus side, if it was what I suspected, perhaps eventually the tribe might forgive him for what he'd done under Macavity's rules.

With that in the back of my mind, I turned to Skimbleshanks.

"What happened?" I asked again, worried about the injuries that the marmalade tom had sustained.

"I found out a fair few things in Glasgow, but I'm no sure whit tae make o'them. I'll exlain a'that in a minute, but don't worry about me. I got intae a fight with some tom, I've got a funny feeling he's got somethin' tae do wi' this. One o' the ticket collector found me an' took me tae the vet, I'll be a'right." Skimble explained briefly.

"Okay then," I said, not buying it, I could see he was still in a lot of pain but there was no arguing with him. "What did you find out?"


	10. Chapter 10 A Revelation

**Chapter 10**

I sat by and listened as Skimbleshanks explained what he'd found when he was in Glasgow. I noticed that he was talking more to Tugger than to me but then I didn't expect anything else from any of them. Who could blame them? What did bother me was that Tugger kept shooting me funny looks, just glances but I knew there was something. I couldn't think what it was, but I wasn't going to ask him.

So I sat and listened while Skimble told us what he'd found in a place called George's Square and in the Necropolis. He mentioned a name, but it didn't ring a bell with me. Macavity had never mentioned a human's name to me before. When he quoted what was written on the man's grave, something nudged the back of my mind. It sounded kind of familiar.

"What was that?" I interrupted, trying desperately to remember where I'd heard it.

"The black cat watches, magic in his paws and fire in his eyes, feral as any wildcat, he laughs at the chaos he created." He repeated it for me, now looking at me as if he'd just noticed I was there. I knew I'd heard it before, or something about it.

"Do you know something about that Alonzo?" Tugger asked me. I didn't like all the sudden attention, I wished they'd both stop staring at me.

"I dunno, I'm sure I've heard it before, or something like it. It rings a bell," I answered. Despite my discomfort, I had to answer his question.

"Do ye think it's got somethin' to do wi' Macavity then?" Skimbleshanks asked me. I flinched when he spoke to me, the coldness in his tone hurt. I should be used to it by now, but it's not easy.

"That, I'm certain of," I said with a nod. "I just can't remember where I heard it, but I'll let you know if I do. I think it might be the wildcats that's bothering me," I added as I half-remembered something but it was still sitting there, just out of my grasp.

"Just let us know when you remember it," Tugger said, his voice kinder than Skimble's but that was almost as bad. I just nodded and went silent again, racking my brain. Tugger nodded for Skimbleshanks to continue with his story, clearly he was anxious to know how he'd sustained all those injuries. He explained about being attacked just as he left the graveyard, about how one of the ticket collectors had found him and taken him to the vet. That had probably saved his life. I was curious about the tom that had attacked him, the mention of wildcats was really pressing on me to remember.

"What was he like, the tom that attacked you?" I finally asked, unable to stand it anymore.

"What do you mean?" Skimble said, his tone suddenly turning to ice again as he addressed me.

"What did he look like?" I answered, managing to ignore his tone for now.

"What does it matter?" the marmalade tabby retorted.

"It matters because I think I'm remembering something that might be central to this whole damn thing!" I snapped. Did I really just do that? I felt a pang of guilt surge through me, no it wasn't guilt but it was something like it. My ears drooped and I looked at the ground, I think I might have even whimpered slightly. I didn't even glance up to see his reaction but I heard him sigh.

"He was big, taller than me and definitely heavier built than any tom I've ever seen before. His fur was short, brown with black tabby markings. He was vicious and very strong." I heard Skimble recite that in a monotone, but it was finally becoming clear to me.

"Wildcats. I knew it had something to do with them. That was a wildcat you fought Skimble, you must have fought well to have returned here in one piece," I said, finally looking up now that my outburst didn't seem to have caused any real problems.

"Are ye sure?" he asked me, sounding worried. I looked straight into his glass-green eyes.

"I am. This is bad, really bad. I remember… I remember Macavity talking about them and I'd never heard him talk like that. There was something different, I don't know…" I said, shaking my head as the memory came back to me.

_Two weeks previously_

_A black and white patched tomcat sat beside a giant tyre in the centre of the Junkyard. He'd finally learned not to show discomfort at the position he was currently sitting in, which was very forced and clearly took a lot of work to maintain. He tried not to flinch as Macavity stormed up to him but he managed to control himself before the ginger tom noticed._

"_Alonzo! Why didn't you tell me about this?" the ginger tom snarled._

"_About what?" Alonzo replied before he could stop himself. He had no idea what Macavity was talking about, but he braced himself for the blow he expected. He looked up nervously when it didn't arrive. _

"_I've just been informed of some strange cats hanging around nearby. Why didn't you tell me?" Macavity snarled again. Alonzo cowered, he hadn't known anything about them, it's not like he was allowed to leave or even get near the perimeter fence. How could he have known? _

"_I didn't know," he said quietly, "I didn't see them." _

_Macavity simply sighed, maybe he was over-reacting. It didn't mean what he thought it meant, he was just being paranoid. _

"_Okay fine, but if you see anything unusual you will be sure to let me know immediately?" The question was more of a threat but it got the point across. Alonzo nodded. _

"_Of course. Is it something to worry about?" he asked tentatively, worried that he'd get called up to fight if something happened._

"_No, no, the wildcats won't be a problem, I'm sure of it." Macavity replied absently, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. He quickly remembered and turned to face Alonzo. _

"_You would be wise not to mention that to anyone," he whispered maliciously, the unspoken warning very clear to Alonzo but just to make it clearer…_

_Alonzo let out a yelp as claws tore through the skin of his face, leaving three long but shallow wounds there. _

My paw was on my cheek before I realised it, I could still feel the scars under my fur from that day and that's what made me hesitate. He'd warned me not to tell, and looking back I realised why and why he had been so… forceful in making sure I kept my mouth shut. He was afraid. He had been afraid of the wildcats, that's why he'd freaked out when he thought they were hanging around.

"Alonzo, what is it?" Tugger's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up at him confused for a moment. He nodded to my paw and I quickly moved it away from my face, feeling my cheeks burning. It's times like these that I hate having white fur, it's so hard to cover up your blushes.

"Alonzo, talk to me." Well, I knew he'd have noticed there was something up but there was something stopping me from telling him. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. Could I? Macavity was dead, he couldn't do anything to me anymore. I was free. Oh Cat, I did not just whimper, did I? What the hell is wrong with me. I took a deep breath, and lifted my head. I didn't have to be scared of Macavity anymore, he's dead. You don't come back from being dead. Something changed for me at that moment, I'm not sure what happened to be honest but I know something changed.

"He was scared of them. The wildcats. He was afraid that they were nearby." I said. The only response I got was a stunned silence.


	11. Chapter 11 Welcome Home

**A/n: **Time for chapter 11, in which things will happen. Thanks again for the reviews, and I appreciate them. This chapter has only one point of view (shocking, isn't it?), but it's rather an important one. E-brownies for the first person who can tell me where I got the title for the chapter, and the other name for the song (big hint there), and the artist. If you can name the album as well... uhm... I'll throw in some e-icecream to go with the brownies. Heh, pop quizes. Fun stuff. Anyways, enjoy and let me know if you like it, if I made a stupid mistake. You know the drill.

**Chapter 11 – Welcome Home**

All I could do was stare at Alonzo. Macavity, admitting he was afraid? I couldn't believe it, I wouldn't believe it. That wasn't like my brother. The Napoleon of Crime wasn't afraid of anything. I shook my head, trying to work it all out.

"He told you this?" Skimble asked the question I couldn't voice.

"Not exactly. I just realised why he wanted to make sure I never mentioned it. He'd heard there were strange cats hanging around, and he asked me if I'd seen them. Of course I knew nothing about it, but he let something slip and mentioned the wildcats. I'd never seen him like that, at the time I thought it was anger but now…" Alonzo explained as best he could, but his voice shook and I watched him put a paw to his face again. Something had happened to him, I could see that. I got the feeling he was tracing scars, hidden by his fur.

"Why would he be scared of them, what would wildcats have to do with Macavity?" I asked, finally able to speak but still extremely confused.

"That's what bothered me about that quote from the man's grave. It mentions the wildcats, and magic. Macavity had magic and he was murdered. Mistoffelees is a black cat, and a magician and he's vanished. A couple of weeks ago, Macavity was worried about strange cats hanging around. It all fits." Alonzo answered, sounding much more confident now.

"I guess that makes sense," I muttered, mulling it all over.

"It does, there must be a connection. So what do we do now?" Skimbleshanks asked. I didn't have a clue but Alonzo didn't seem to have the answer either.

"Well, we still need to try to find Mistoffelees and I think we need Munkustrap. I'm going to see him again." I said, getting to my feet. "Get some rest Skimble, and thank you. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks. I could dae wi' a sleep in my own bed." Skimbleshanks replied, struggling to his feet and limping off, shrugging off Alonzo's attempt to help him. I hesitated, watching the patched tom.

"Maybe you should rest as well," I suggested, walking away from him and to my brother's den. These visits always depressed me, but I had to keep coming back. I felt I'd made some progress and was finally starting to get through to him. I couldn't give up now.

I entered the den, it had been left unlocked but Munkustrap had never left it. That was the next stage but first I had to get him to notice me. He was sitting in his usual corner, staring straight ahead and the mouse I'd brought for him lay half-eaten and forgotten on the ground. It hurt, like it always did, it was almost a physical pain to see him like this. It only made me more determined to help him.

I talked to him, I told him that everyone was doing fine. I told him how Jemima was doing, and Demeter and the rest of the tribe, even Alonzo. I told him all about what Skimble had found out and what Alonzo had worked out from that. I explained what I planned to do. I told him how much I missed him, how much we all did. It was the same thing every time I came here but I had to tell him something. So I told him everything.

This time was harder for some reason, maybe because we'd found something to work with and we were starting to get somewhere. I didn't have a clue what to do, the lost leader, the fish out of water. That was me.

"I need you Munksy, I can't do this without you. Please come back to me." I whispered, finally breaking down despite promising myself I wouldn't. I thought, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw him move but it was probably my imagination or the tears clouding my vision.

"Tugger?" That must have been my imagination as well, no-one whispered my name. My imagination is cruel, it's playing tricks on me. It must be.

"Tugger?" I know I heard something that time. I blinked the tears away and looked up, hardly daring to believe it.

He was staring right at me, his yellow eyes fixed on me. I couldn't be sure but I could have sworn there was a spark of recognition in them.

"Munkustrap?" I said, still not sure I believed it yet. "It's me, it's Tugger."

"Wh- what happened?" He said weakly.

"It's okay, I'm here. You're safe, everything's going to be okay." I said, not bothering to hold back the tears now as I approached him. I wasn't sure whether I was reassuring him or me at that point.

"But- but, no." my silver brother muttered shaking his head, "Impossible. You're dead, you can't be here. I just want you to be here, it's all in my head,"

"No Munkustrap, it's not. I'm really here, I promise you." I said, stepping forward.

"How? He said, he told me… you were dead." Munkustrap protested, still shaking his head.

"He told you a lot of things, none of it's true. I'm fine, Demeter's fine, everyone else is fine. Jemima's fine." I said, hoping that he would believe me.

"Jemima…" he whispered. I remembered what Alonzo had told me, maybe the mention of his daughter being perfectly fine would help. "Are you sure?"

Oh man, he sounded so hopeful, and looked so pathetic. I couldn't stand it.

"I'm sure, she's been asking to see you since we found out you were okay. I just didn't think you'd want her to see you like this." I offered.

"But, she was killed, just last week. He… Alonzo…" he growled. This didn't sound good to me.

"No, Alonzo never touched her. I swear, I can vouch for him. That was months ago, Macavity made him tell you that." I tried to explain, and probably made a complete arse of it.

"Months…." He sounded doubtful. Clearly, where ever it was he'd been all this time, there was no sense of time. "Wait, how did you get in here? Macavity will kill you if he finds you here, I can't, you need to leave. I don't want you getting hurt just to see me, I'll be okay."

Now that was starting to sound more like the Munkustrap I knew and loved. But I guess I had to tell him, now that he was back with us again.

"Macavity won't do anything to me, he can't. He's gone Munk, he's dead. It's over and we're free." I said. Silence. He just stared at me, long enough to make me uncomfortable. I mean, what I said wasn't that complicated, was it?

"You must be a figment of my imagination. That's impossible." He said scathingly, turning away.

"It's true, we still don't know how or why, but he's gone. I conducted his funeral myself," I said, moving to place my paw on his grey striped shoulder, cringing at the feeling of dirt in his fur. He flinched and hissed at me, giving me a glare that would normally have sent me running for the hills but I didn't pull away. Not now that he was responding.

"Munkustrap, please. You've got to believe me, you've just got to. We've got rid of Macavity, I'm the Leader now and I can't do it. I just can't do this without you. I need you, we need you. Everything's going to be okay, I swear." I had just about lost control by this point, and I hated the way my voice broke and the tears didn't stop flowing down my already damp cheeks.

"Tugger…" he whispered my name again and I looked up to see tears in his eyes as well.

"I thought I'd lost you," I whispered, "Welcome home."


	12. Chapter 12 The Magic Of Cats

A/n: Here's chapter twelve, sorry it's been a while. Life's been a bit crazy, but now I'm left with two weeks of Easter Break. I wanna say thanks to my reviewers, it cheers me up a lot to see that you guys are still enjoying this story. I'm half-way through chapter fifteen now, so lots more to come! I do have a couple of specific replies, to put here.

SophieRose: you were absolutely right. Yay for Metallica!

Crawler: After all the reviews I gave you for Ritzkin... I'm only kidding, I know you've been reading it and I appreciate it muchly. You're fantastical.

Quaxo Mistoffelees: There's lots more yet to come, I've worked out exactly how this is going to end, and I'm predicting twenty chapters in total, at the very least. Probably more.

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**Chapter 12 – The Magic Of Cats**

"They… hate magical cats?" the tuxedo tomcat stuttered, staring at the snake with wide-eyed disbelief.

"Why?"

"Because they don't believe normal catsss are entitled to magic." Situla explained patiently. "Perhapsss they are right, I don't know."

Mistoffelees shifted uncomfortably at these words, tearing his eyes away from the snake's unblinking stare to watch the nervous twitching of his tail instead. He had not yet revealed his own abilities to these animals, although he had a funny feeling pressing on the back of his mind that they already knew. He didn't like the sound of these wildcats, the snake had mentioned that they had magical abilites very much like his own. That was a scary thought, they sounded more dangerous than Macavity even. The Hidden Paw was the only other cat Mistoffelees knew of that had magic.

"How can I help you though?" he finally asked, scared of what they expected of him.

"They are old enemies of ours, and of the owner of this house. They must be elminated to preserve the status quo." Freki answered, his yellow eyes blazing with suppressed rage. Or was that just the light from the fire? The wolf was very difficult to read.

That didn't really answer Mistoffelees' question though.

"What would I have to do then?" the tux was certain now that they knew he had magic, why else would they be asking him to help? He was small, slight and definitely not a fighter. Mistoffelees had never killed anything bigger than a rat in his life. His magic was all he had to offer. He'd already agreed to help, and he knew he wouldn't want to back out. He owed these creatures his life, it was the least he could do.

"Help us find them, help us take them out. Your magic can help protect us from their own. Incidentally, I believe that in the process we will both be able to get you home and help your tribe."

That was enough for Mistoffelees to be convinced. Freki still scared him a lot, but then it was only natural seeing that he was a wolf and Mistoffelees a cat. On the other hand, he was starting to feel that he could trust this strange assortment of animals. If he could help them, get home and help the Jellicles all in one go, then all the better.

"Okay." With that single word, Mistoffelees had agreed. He was unaware of exactly what he'd agreed to, or what it would entail. Perhaps the toothy grin that spread across the wolf's face, or the satisfied smirk worn by the pig, or even the glances and smirks shared by the other animals, should have told him that he'd be getting more than he bargained for but the young magician was too excited at the prospect of being able to go home and help his friends to notice anything odd about the response to his words.

"Well, since that's all settled now, perhaps we should tell you more." Diazi said cheerfully, "See, the owner of this house isn't an ordinary human. She's a witch."

The rabbit paused expectantly, as if expecting a massive outcry at her words. The pig rolled his eyes and the only other response she got was a confused look from Mistoffelees.

"What's a witch?"

Diazi sighed over-dramatically before launching into a long-winded and roundabout explanation of how some humans can also use magic, but they have to keep it very secret so that other humans don't keep bugging them about it.

"I see." The cat lied, he understood about the humans that had magic but the rest of that made little sense.

"See, she told us that you were coming, and where we could find you. She told us you'd be able to help." Scrofa put in, shooting a look at the rabbit.

"You can talk to humans?" Mistoffelees asked incredulously.

"Sort of." Cerva answered. The finality in that statement was unmistakeable.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Get some rest." Freki said, effectively ending the conversation.

Mistoffelees nodded and curled up on the soft blanket by the fire, his mind going over everything he'd been told. Suddenly his mind became oddly blank, sending him into a deep sleep.

* * *

I had spent two hours in my brother's den, now that he was back, I could fill him in on what had been happening in the Junkyard. I even took the time to explain my worries about Alonzo, and my confidence that we'd find Mistoffelees alive and well. There had to be some way to find the tuxedoed tomcat, and despite the growing length of time the conjurer had been missing, my confidence was growing.

The silver tabby was now sleeping, properly for the first time in months. I watched him for a moment, a grey purring pile of fur, comfortable on his bed with a small smile on his face. It was good to have him back, although I feared it might be a while before he'd be ready to face the rest of the tribe.

Leaving him in peace, I headed off in search of Alonzo to let him know the good news and talk about Mistoffelees. I don't know why I was so convinced he was still alive, but I just knew he was out there somewhere. The only question was where. I found him sitting on top of the old car, staring off into space. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he might have been thinking about. It must have been pretty deep, since he didn't even blink when I sat down beside him.

"Whatcha thinking about?" I said, nudging him to get his attention.

"Huh? Oh, hi Tugger."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking," Alonzo paused, turning to look at me. "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" I replied, unable to hide the smile that had been threatening to surface.

"You're in a much better mood than last time I saw you," he said curiously. I grinned at that, I couldn't help it.

"I have some good news. Munkus is back." I almost laughed at his face when I said that, the utter disbelief was hilarious.

"He's… back?"

"Yeah. I finally got through to him; he's sleeping in his den. Properly sleeping. We talked, he's still not quite right but we'll get there." I explained, hoping he'd understand that Munkustrap would need time to get used to a lot of things again.

"That's good." I hesitated before answering him; I didn't like his tone there. His smile seemed quite forced as well, and I wondered why he might not be so happy about Munkustrap beginning to recover.

"What's the matter?" I said, admittedly a little offended. Alonzo and my brother used to be friends, before it all started, why wouldn't he be happy…? Oh.

"Nothing."

I knew Alonzo was lying, and I was sure I knew what was going on.

"You're afraid to face him." I said, aware that it sounded like an accusation. He turned his eyes to the ground and nodded. I remembered what Munkustrap had said, when I told him Jemima was alive and well. This might be awkward, and Alonzo was having a hard enough time as it is. The tribe hadn't yet gotten over his "betrayal" and he clung to me because I knew the truth. I hoped nothing else would happen, especially if it involved a lot of fighting. If Alonzo was presented with another opportunity to prove himself to the Jellicles, there was no telling what he'd do.


	13. Chapter 13 Facing Up To Fear

A/n: Here's chapter thirteen, I haven't forgotten this fic, I've just been busy with uni starting up again and a new secret project and other stuff. This chapter is very much centred on Alonzo, and the multitude of issues that poor tom has. I edited one part, because I decided it was a little too risque for a T rating, and it's best left up to your imagination anyway. Aside from that enjoy, and again thank you for the reviews. This is my longest fanfic to date and I appreciate the feedback. Constructive criticism is always encouraged, but I do like to hear what you've enjoyed about it as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats - wish I did but really I don't. Sorry.

Announcement: For all those who visit my website, or would like to visit it, please note that it has moved due to hosting problems. The old site is still there, until my old host dies completely (I can't log in to remove it), but check my profile homepage link to find the new location, as this is where any and all updates will appear. Please update any bookmarks and links if you have them as well.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Facing Up To Fear**

Afraid to face him? Of course I was afraid to face him, he thought I was a murderer. Who can blame him? I _let_ him think that. I had no other choice. Even from beyond the grave, that bastard could still get to me and I hated it. I hated that I let him break me down like that, I hated that I didn't fight him as much as I should have. I hated that I was scared to face my best friend, he'd suffered a lot more than I had and I had no right being scared.

"If he… if he remembers what I did, he'll hate me Tugger. I can't… I…" _I'm a coward._ It really was that simple.

"You've got a chance to explain now," he said patiently.

"Explain what? Explain that I'm a coward, explain how I hurt my tribe because I was scared? Explain that I valued my own life, that instead of fighting and running the risk of losing, I just did what I was told so I didn't get hurt, so I didn't end up like he did?" It took me a moment to realise that I was shouting at Tugger. I had never shouted at anyone like that, in my life. The trouble was, although I yelled at Tugger, my anger was only meant for myself. I broke down then, right there in front of Tugger. Words failed me, and tears flowed freely. I didn't care what anyone thought, not anymore. I couldn't stop it, I'd kept all of it bottled up for so long. I guess it had to happen sometime.

Still, it had to happen in public. I ignored the stares from the few Jellicles gathered in the main clearing, just as they'd been ignoring me. I barely noticed a strong golden paw around my shoulders, until I was pulled into a hug. Normally, I'd have told Tugger where to go, pushed him off but right then I needed the comfort he was offering me. I clung to him, burying my face in his long mane and sobbing my heart out, not even thinking about feeling embarassed.

"It's okay Alonzo, just let it out. I'm here, it's over now." I heard him but I couldn't look at him just yet, nuzzling deeper into his golden fur. I was never more grateful for Tugger than at that moment, he was there for me, not pushing me away, not hating me like everyone else. It gave me strength, and finally I managed to pull my head up to look at him.

"I'm sorry I… I… thanks." What else could I say?

"It is not your fault, you've nothing to be sorry about." He said that quite forcefully, it was the first time he'd said that. I wanted so much to believe him, to agree but I just couldn't. Not after what I did. Still, it helped, I even managed a watery smile.

"I do. Your mane's a bit damp now." The first joke I'd made in a long time, I think.

"Alonzo. Everything's going to be fine now, you'll see."

"I hope so. At least some things are getting back to normal." I muttered. Not everything though. Everyone still hates me, I can see it in their eyes. I know why, and I know it's my fault but it still hurts. There's not much I can do to convince them, Tugger might believe me but the rest of them… I'm just going to have to prove it. The only question now is, how?

I pulled out of the hug, feeling awkward and embarrassed now, shifting to hug my knees instead. I hated Macavity for what he did to me, I almost wish he wasn't dead. That way, I could kill him myself. That was before I even took into account what he'd done to the rest of the tribe. It killed me, to watch them suffer, to add to it on occasion. I hated myself, I hated him. I was scared to face my one-time best friend, all because of him.

"I'm glad Munkustrap's okay. I just… I'm not ready to face him. Not yet."

"I understand. He needs time as well. Macavity's really messed everything up," came the answer. I laughed bitterly, that was the understatement of the year.

"We still need to think about finding Mistoffelees. Have you any ideas?" Tugger asked me suddenly. I shook my head. He'd been missing for a while now, I admit I doubted we'd find him alive. If he was okay, surely he'd have been back by now?

"I think we might start sending a couple of cats out to look for him,"

I almost protested, we weren't allowed to… oh wait, yes we could leave now. It made sense, whether it would be worthwhile or not, I couldn't have said but it was probably worth a shot, "I'll go later tonight, if you want." I offered. I hoped he would realise that I meant alone. Who else would come with me anyway?

"You shouldn't go out there alone."

I should have expected him to argue.

"I'll be fine. I can't… I just can't," my half-hearted protest was met with a sigh.

"Fine. Just you be careful okay."

"I will." I got up, and stretched. I suddenly felt really tired, and going for a nap sounded like the best plan, especially if I was supposed to be going out later. "I'd better get some sleep then. I'll see you later. And… thanks."

With that I turned and headed for my den, so lost in my own thoughts that I almost walked into the red and white figure blocking the entrance before I recognised her. Bombalurina. My stomach did a backflip, and that was before I even saw her expression. I didn't dare look her in the eyes, I couldn't meet her eyes anymore after what had happened.

"What's the matter with you?"

Her voice was like ice, it really did make my fur stand on end. I tried to answer, but my voice didn't seem to want to work. I shook my head, telling her without words that it didn't matter. Not to her.

"It had to be something. I saw what happened back there, I saw you in his arms. Tugger doesn't just hug cats like you for no reason." I cringed at the way she spoke, it hurt to be spoken to like something nasty she'd stepped in. It was well deserved, but it hurt all the same. How the hell could I make her understand?

"You wouldn't understand. Please, just let me get some sleep."

"What wouldn't I understand? What on earth could be so bad to have you breaking down like that in front of the whole tribe. We've all suffered, you had it easy." Bitch. What did she know?

"You think so? You have no idea. You really have no idea." I actually did try to keep the growl out of my voice, but it didn't happen.

"Oh I'm sure. It must have been torture for you when I…" she cut that sentence off sharply, but it didn't matter. I knew what she was about to say. My face burned, it must have been as red as her fur. She'd caught me, part of me had enjoyed it… even though I knew how much it hurt her. It hurt me, I was disgusted with myself for enjoying it. It was wrong, it had been so very wrong in so many ways. I hadn't had the choice though, again it was something that Macavity had forced me to do. That time, however it had been a reward, apparently.

"I'm sorry." My apology, in a pathetic whisper, I didn't know what else I could say to her. The image flashed into my mind, the memory of what had happened. I remember looking at her, those tears of utter humiliation blemishing her beautiful face. I looked up into those same eyes, not filled with tears anymore. They were filled with confusion.

"You're sorry?"

I nodded. "I know I hurt you Bombalurina, and for that I'm sorry. I can't say how sorry I am." _I'm sorry it had to happen that way, I'm sorry there can never be anything between us now._ That's what I wanted to say. It was the truth, Macavity had tainted our relationship forever. I felt sick, I wanted to explain, how he made me go through with it. I'd been given a choice, to accept my 'reward' or face punishment for rejecting his generosity… I don't even want to think about what that could have entailed. That bastard.

"That doesn't change anything, Alonzo."

"I know. I wanted you to know that though. Even if it doesn't change anything, you should still know that I hate myself for it, and that I'm sorry."

"It's appreciated." She paused, she seemed to be thinking, "He… did he hurt you?"

I couldn't say anything to that. Yes, he had, in a million different ways, but I knew I was not alone, by any means. I nodded, but didn't elaborate. She didn't need to know, it wouldn't help matters.

"Deep down, I think I knew that. I knew you wouldn't betray us, intentionally." When she said that, my expression must have been hilarious. I couldn't believe it, she… she believed me? Sort of, anyway.

"Th-thank you… I didn't want to, I had to, I wanted to help, I was going to, I tried to…" I babbled at her, but shut up when her paw pressed against my lips. I looked up at her.

"It's okay, Alonzo." With that, she took off and I watched her black and red tail disappear around the corner, before going into my den to think, and maybe even sleep.


	14. Chapter 14 Family Matters

A/N: Hi folks. I'm back, after two months. Things got a little crazy with exams and other boring real life stuff, so this chapter has been sitting around gathering dust for a while. Things are still crazy, but I have a bit of time, and this story is not going to be abandoned after the hours I put into it. So thank you again to the reviewers, and enjoy chapter fourteen.

By the way, I have changed my pen-name, I was formerly known as Eminems6. See my profile for more information and updates on upcoming projects. Just so there's no confusion.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats. Never have, and probably never will.

* * *

**Chapter 14- Family Matters  
**

The journey back down to London was a long one for Mistoffelees and his newfound friends. A single cat or rabbit could get away with sneaking onto a train but a wolf setting foot on board a train would be impossible. It meant they would have to travel by foot, through the countryside to ensure they were not spotted by too many humans. That could cause problems, considering half of the group would have been expected to eat the other half. Humans were simple creatures, they would not understand.

Freki had estimated that it would take about four days to reach London, assuming nothing went wrong and accounting for rest stops to eat and sleep. It was too long for Mistoffelees, he wanted to get back there right away but he couldn't use his magic. Whatever it was that Macavity had done to him had not been removed when the ginger tom died. Mistoffelees had explained all of this to Diazi, who assured him that once they reached London they'd be able to solve that. The tux had been tempted to ask her how she could be so certain but he knew the rabbit would either ignore his question or bore him to death with a ridiculous and long winded explanation that wouldn't make any sense anyway. It was easier to just wait and see.

The strange group traveled onwards, feeling like they were making no progress whatsoever. They crossed through big open fields where flocks of sheep grazed quietly, until they spotted the wolf. It was rather amusing to watch the flock of white clouds-like animals running away as one. They did opt to be more careful though, when they were forced to run from an irate farmer firing off a shotgun after them. Despite this, the first day of the journey had been pretty uneventful and the animals as a group were beginning to relax somewhat.

* * *

The atmosphere around the Junkyard began to improve. Even Alonzo seemed to be feeling better, I don't know what happened with him but he appeared to be a lot happier. I stopped in to check on him on my way to visit Munkustrap and was surprised to get a genuine smile out of him. He hadn't had any luck in finding Mistoffelees, or finding out anything else but at least he hadn't gotten into any fights. Persistence would be the key with this one, we'd find him eventually. I was sure of it.

Munkustrap seemed a lot better as well. He was awake when I got to his den, sitting up and waiting for me. I dropped a rabbit in front of him, feeling quite pleased with it as it was a good sized meal. I'd dragged Skimble out with me to help me catch it, earlier that morning. Munkustrap was going to need to eat well if he was going to recover, he was still painfully thin. I almost laughed at his expression; he was staring at it like he wasn't sure if it was real.

"I brought you breakfast," I pointed out unnecessarily.

"But…"

"But nothing. You need to eat. It's yours."

"Wow. Uh… thanks Tugger."

"No problem. I'm just glad you're feeling better." He just nodded when I said that before starting to eat. I just watched in silence.

"How's the rest of the tribe?" he asked, once he was half-way through with the rabbit.

"They're doing better, especially now they know you're better. Even Alonzo seems to be doing better."

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just… are you sure you can trust him?" I think what he meant to say was, are you sure I can trust him but I let it go.

"I'm sure. He's been hurt as bad as the rest of us, just in a different way. I think. I dunno Munk, but he's on our side."

"He is?"

"Yes. He's scared, I think."

"Of what?"

"Of you. He's scared to face you, he thinks you'll think he's a coward. Whatever he's done, he was forced to do it and he's beating himself up about it. So's the rest of the tribe. He needs you. He needs us. It's time to start repairing the damage." I explained.

"Yeah. You're right. Maybe I should talk to him," he said thoughtfully, going silent for a moment. Something seemed to occur to him; he blinked and stared, as if remembering something. I have no idea what, he didn't seem to want to share, but I felt a need to warn him about Alonzo anyway.

"Munk, he's not the same Alonzo you used to know. I told you already what he's been like, I'm worried about him. I don't have enough worry to go around, but just remember that he's not... he's not Alonzo anymore." I could tell that it wouldn't be an easy conversation for either of them, but it was something they would have to do at some point and the sooner, the better.

"I'll remember. Everything will work out, Tugger. I'm sure of it," he replied, still sounding a little uncertain. It didn't matter, the point was that they'd work things out. I hoped he was right, that everything would work out in the end. I just wondered what we'd have to go through to get to that endpoint.

"I hope you're right Munk. It can't get much worse, can it?" I said after a moment, watching him finish off the food. At least he was finishing meals, and sleeping.

"Don't say that, because it will just to prove you wrong." He deadpanned, making it really difficult for me to work out whether he was joking or not, until a playful grin broke out on his face. I laughed and batted him with a paw.

"Don't do that! By the way, Demeter's been asking for you, and Jemima. They keep asking me when they can see you. How would you like to get a couple of pretty queens off my back for me?"

"I'd like to see them, but since when was that a problem for you?" I smiled at that, it was nice to be able to talk with Munkustrap like we used to. A bit of friendly teasing, the odd joke, just like old times.

"I've got too many queens on my back, I need to unload some of them."

"Yeah, right."

"I'll go and get the girls, you'd be surprised, my darling little niece has grown up quite a lot." I said, chuckling as I headed for the door. I quickly found Demeter and Jemima, both lounging in the sun and talking idly. Demeter looked up as I approached, giving her daughter a nudge. I shot them an easy smile, reassurance that I brought good news.

"Do you want to see him?" I asked the two queens. Mother and daughter both nodded enthusiastically. It was heartwarming, and I found myself wondering whether I ought to have a family of my own someday. "C'mon then, he's waiting for you." I led them to Munkustraps den, said my goodbyes, and left the small family alone. He might be my brother, but he still had a family of his own and they needed to be reacquainted.

In the meantime, I decided to track down Alonzo again, to let him know that Munkustrap wanted to talk with him, and see if I could work out why he was suddenly so much happier. It was also a good opportunity to check up on the others. Plato's leg was apparently healing very well, and Skimble was getting back to normal. Everyone else seemed to be happier, the kittens were more playful than ever before. They were growing up now, and perhaps a little too old to be jumping around in the junk playing tag, but then a whole year of their kittenhood had been brutally taken from them. They deserved to get that time back. We all did.


	15. Chapter 15 We Need To Talk

A/n: Hi all. I know it's been forever with this fic, it's been on hiatus for way too long. However. It's back with a vengeance. Chapter sixteen is written and just needs editing. Things are starting to hot up now. This is a chapter that is both vital and sort of transitional, however I hope it works. I hate that it's been so long, and I hope at least some of you guys are still with me.

Shameless plugs: I've got three roleplays in progress. Come check them out. My website is being revamped, so check it out. I have a new Cats writing challenge, on my forum, so come check it out. Also, keep an eye out for more Anarchia fics. I think that's about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats or it's respective characters. I own the other animals in the story though. I wish I owned Alonzo.

* * *

**Chapter 15 – We Need To Talk**

I'd just woken up, having spent most of the night on a fruitless search of the streets for any sign of Mistoffelees. Then Tugger arrived, not even bothering to check if I was awake before coming into the den. That irritated me, but it was a good sign too. It was a sign that he was getting back to normal, that everything was getting back to normal. Still, he had woken me up earlier too, and I liked my sleep after a long night of walking around the city.

"Oh good you're awake."

"Yeah. Just about." I answered, unable to keep a bite of annoyance out of my voice. I watched him sit down, he gave me a funny look, almost as though he was contemplating saying something, then deciding not to. "Is everything okay?" I prompted.

"Yeah. I guess. Uhm… Munk's with Demeter and Jemima. I figured it was time to let them see him, now that he's looking a bit better." He said the words very carefully, as if he was taking his time to choose just the right ones. There was more to it than that, he wouldn't come here just to tell me that Munkustrap was with his family.

"Yeah…." I answered, trailing off expectantly, waiting for him to go on.

"He… uh, he wants to talk to you as well." Tugger said very tentatively. It was like he was scared I would blow up or something. That couldn't be further from the truth, all I felt was a lead weight sinking to the bottom of my stomach. Munkustrap wanted to talk to me? That, I had to admit, I didn't like the sound of. What did he want to talk about? Why? What was I supposed to say to him? How could I explain what I did? That was a lot of questions and I don't tend to ask too many questions. I didn't like this, not at all.

"Alonzo?"

"Huh?"

"You okay? You went kinda quiet on me."

"Yeah… uh, what does he want to talk to me about?" I blurted out the question, unable to help myself. Silence. Why wouldn't he answer me? "Tugger?"

"He wants to talk about everything that's happened. You two need to clear things up, it's the only way you can both move on." He said eventually, confirming what I had both suspected and dreaded to hear.

"Oh. Okay." I answered automatically, too busy thinking to consider my response. I was not looking forward to that conversation, that was for sure. I knew I'd go through with it though, it would look worse if I refused, and part of me wanted to talk to Munkustrap again. I didn't want to be scared anymore, I didn't want to be hated anymore. I needed to do this.

"You'll be alright," he assured me. I knew he was right, it was Munkustrap, for Pete's sake, he wasn't going to hurt me. Right?

"Yeah..." I said vaguely, obviously unconvinced. There wasn't much I could do but wait, so Tugger and I spent the next hour or so sitting outside in the sun, just waiting. He tried to make idle conversation, but I wasn't really in the mood for talking, instead more concerned with trying to psych myself up for the talk with Munkustrap. He asked me why I was happier lately, pushing me to find out if something had happened. It was almost like old times, before everything went to hell, and he coerced me into admitting I'd cleared things up with Bombalurina. However, he wouldn't ever know what it was that needed to be cleared up. I wouldn't have done that to her, I'd done enough to her already.

Eventually we spotted Demeter and Jemima leaving his den, they seemed happier. They were smiling at any rate, and talking quietly as they walked. Demeter still looked a little tense, but Munkustrap had a long way to go before he'd be back to his usual self, so it was understandable. I watched Jemima for a moment, glad that she didn't know her father had thought her dead for months.

"Guess that means it's my turn." I said, getting to my paws with some reluctance. I hesitated, but quickly started walking when Tugger threatened to drag me in there. I paused at the door of his den, taking a deep breath before knocking. I heard him call back, and tentatively poked my head through the door. I had to admit, I was glad to see him looking alive, I really was glad he was better. "Uhm..." That was about all I managed to say, not very smooth I know, but I was really unsure what to say to him. He seemed to be the same, but I wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.

"Are you coming in, or are you going to stand in the doorway?" he asked abruptly, startling me and causing my ears to flatten reflexively. I cringed, feeling my face grow warm. I was blushing again, feeling stupid for being so scared. I moved into the den properly and sat down opposite him, keeping my distance all the same. Taking a chance, I looked into his eyes and before I knew what was happening, I was rambling.

"Munkustrap, I'm so sorry about everything. I didn't hurt Jemima, I didn't mean to hurt anyone, he made me do it. I'm such an idiot, I should have done more, I should have tried to get hel-"

"Alonzo, calm down. It's okay." he cut me off, only when he told me to calm down did I realise what I was doing and immediately shut up.

"I'm sorry," I whispered quietly.

"I know," he answered. "I'm sorry too, for doubting you. I should have known you'd never hurt Jemima, or any of the tribe."

Damn. How the hell could I tell him he was wrong. I did hurt the tribe, Bombalurina especially. The kittens are terrified of me, Pouncival can't even look at me. I don't blame them for that, but I can't accept all the blame myself. Some of it's got to be reserved for that ginger fiend.

"I tried not to." Oh great, and I just admitted it too.

"It's not really your fault though, is it?" he said. Was he covering for how he really felt? Or did he understand?

"I shouldn't have let him get to me the way he did. That, is my fault."

"I understand Alonzo. I do, I know you wanted to help us, I haven't forgotten you bringing me food and taking care of me when no-one else could. You took a lot of risks. Nobody's perfect. We can repair the damage done to the tribe, but I can't do it alone. I need Tugger, and I need you. The tribe will forgive, just give them time."

I shook my head, I heard his words but believing them was beyond me. "I was a coward, I just lay down and took orders like a good little puppy."

"That doesn't sound like something you would do, Alonzo. I know he hurt you, I know what he did. He... I... He told me all about it."

I turned away from him, unable to maintain eye contact after that revelation. He knew everything. I didn't want anyone to know how he'd gotten to me, what he'd done.

"It must have taken a lot of work to break your spirit. This was not your fault, Alonzo. He always had a knack for seeking out weakness and exploiting it." He continued, and I was starting to believe him.

"But..."

"But nothing. The damage is done, we can't change what happened. We can't undo what he did, but we can change things for the better from now on. He's gone, we're free."

"We are free," I agreed, finally managing a smile. Munkustrap punched me softly on the shoulder, and I pulled him into a hug. Just like old times, I felt like I had my best friend back. It was all too easy then, to forget everything that had happened but sadly that wasn't going to be the case. It was one thing to talk about repairing the damage, putting things right, but really, something had to be done about it. It could wait a little longer though, I was happy enough with Munkustrap just pretending that everything was okay for a little while. We were even laughing and probably would have ended up in some sort of kittenish wrestling match. If it hadn't been for me. I hadn't gotten this close to Munkustrap for quite some time, and his scent was horribly familiar. I caught it and it sent a chill down my spine, causing me to tense immediately. I pulled away from Munkustrap, trying so hard to forget what that scent had reminded me of. I couldn't, it wasn't his fault but I remembered suddenly that he knew about it. Everything.

"Alonzo? What is it?"

I heard him, but I didn't react. He was worried about me, that wasn't right. I didn't deserve his worry, I wasn't worth the trouble.

"Alonzo!"

His sharp tone made me visibly flinch, and before I could fight it I had adopted a very uncomfortable and very submissive posture. I looked at the ground, not wanting to see his face, my ears held flat against my head, my face burning white hot. Unfortunately it would obviously take a bit more work to fully get over the conditioning, I knew I shouldn't do this, I didn't have to do it anymore. I jumped when I felt a paw on my chin, and was forced to look at Munkustrap.

"It's okay, Alonzo. Really. He's gone, he's dead. We're free now, both of us. I'm here for you, just like you were there for me. I know what he did, he told me every detail but I'd forgotten. I wish I could help you forget it too."

I could see tears in his eyes, or perhaps they were my own blurring my vision and I nodded. "We can help each other. It's good to have you back, I missed you. I wish I could have helped you more, you shouldn't have had to go through that," I told him, still preferring to worry about others and ignore my own pain. Maybe I still felt that I deserved to suffer, or maybe I was being totally selfless. I don't know, but we needed each other and we could help each other through this. Munkustrap pulled me into a hug, and this time his scent didn't frighten me. It was familiar, but now I could recognise it as his, and not Macavity's. I didn't have to be scared anymore and everything had changed for us all at that point. We became a tribe again.


	16. Chapter 16 We Could Be Heroes

A/N: Welcome to Endgame! All the storylines are beginning to fuse as we approach the end of the road with this fic. It's so exciting, because I think this fic has been going for a long time, maybe even a year. Thanks to all those who've read and reviewed, it's much appreciated. I like concrit, so please continue to review and tell me honestly what you think. I've got more stuff on the way, so keep your eyes peeled. Enjoy the chapter, and I promise I won't make you wait as long for the next one.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Cats.

Shameless plug: I've got several rps on the go, and my website has been relaunched. Please come visit!

* * *

**Chapter 16 - We Could Be Heroes**

It had taken a long time, but finally Mistoffelees and his companions had reached London. Now it was the tux who took responsibility for navigation, since he knew the city better. He was much happier now, feeling a lot more cheerful now that he was back home. Although he wasn't completely able to shake off a certain sense of forboding, which was easily attributed to the state the Junkyard had been in when he left it behind. He wondered what Macavity would do, the ginger tom would be livid that he'd vanished, that he was certain of.

Contrarily, Freki had become more silent than ever, and even Diazi was quiet. Her long ears twitched at every sound and she was behaving much more like a rabbit would be expected to behave if there was a fox watching from the distance. The group of animals just carried this air of unease that Mistoffelees seemed oblivious to. It took them longer to gain ground in the city than in the country, because they had less places to hide. Eventually, they found themselves in the field behind the Junkyard.

"Mistoffelees, wait. Before we go to greet your tribe, how will they react to us being here?" Scrofa asked, wrinkling his snout as he fished for scents.

"It depends.If Macavity is still around, it might be more difficult," the tux answered.

"He is not." Situla pointed out, "I checked. The tomcat that is in charge has black fur, spots and a golden mane. He's being helped by two others, one white with black patches and one silver with stripes."

"Munkustrap! He's alive?" Mistoffelees cried out, shocked and amazed. "I need to go in there now."

"You cannot." Freki said, a growl to his voice.

"Why not?"

"Because, we shall not be responsible for returning such a demon as you to the Jellicle tribe. They are a liability as it is."

"Wh- what do you mean?" Mistoffelees stuttered, backing off a bit. Without his magic, he would have no chance to defend himself against the wolf, never mind the other animals too.

"You will soon find out."

Any answer Mistoffelees might have had to that was cut off by the sound of a scream from within the Junkyard. The tux jumped, turning around to see if he could see what was going on.

"It is time. We musst move quickly." Situla urged.

Mistoffelees was panic stricken, contemplating scaling the Junkyard fence when suddenly he wasn't on the ground anymore. He yowled, feeling teeth gripping the scruff of his neck tightly. The wolf had picked him up, like a kitten and he was helpless.

"No! Put me down!" he protested, but it was pointless as Freki ignored him.

* * *

The Jellicle tribe were all together for once, although this was no time for celebration. They were huddled together in a haphazard group in the main clearing, each one of them eyeing the cats surrounding them. The kittens looked terrified, and many of the toms looked horrified. Alonzo was sporting a bloody nose, several scratches and bite marks and a rebellious scowl. Munkustrap nursed a nasty gash on his shoulder and a torn ear. A few of the other toms also had signs of injury, the worst off was probably Tumblebrutus, who held his broken arm up across his chest and was on the verge of passing out.

Surrounding the Jellicles was a large circle of toms. These were obviously not ordinary cats, they were all tall and stocky, brown cats with dark tabby markings and yellow eyes. They were the Scottish wildcats and they had struck suddenly, catching the tribe off guard and thus succeeding in subduing them. Their strength lay not only in their numbers, but in their abilities to fight.

"That all of them?"

"Aye. I think so."

"Ye think so? Or you know so?"

"I know so."

The toms talked amongst themselves, thick accents making it difficult to distinguish any one voice. However, the conversation prompted Munkustrap to look around at his tribe. It truly looked like the wildcats had managed to herd every single Jellicle cat, just like a flock of sheep. Except, the fluffiest member of the flock seemed to be missing. Another check confirmed it. The silver tabby shifted closer to Alonzo, nudging him with an elbow to get his attention.

"Ow! Watch it, that hurt," Alonzo hissed, glaring at his friend. Apparently the tabby's elbow had found a nicely bruised rib.

"Sorry. Where's Tugger?" Munkustrap whispered back.

"What? He's right over... oh."

"What are you two queens yapping about?" one of the wildcats demanded suddenly, standing in front of the pair.

"Nothing," Munkustrap replied quickly.

"Disnae look like nothing."

"We were just wondering," Alonzo began, giving Munkustrap a pointed look, "what you were planning on doing with us.

"All in good time, Spot. All in good time." The tom waved a paw airily, walking away from the indignant Alonzo.

"I'll give him 'Spot," the black and white tom growled.

"Calm down. Where the hell is Tugger?" Munkustrap prompted, to drag Alonzo's attention back to important matters.

* * *

The maned tom glanced back into the Junkyard one last time, before dropping silently to the ground on the other side of the fence. This was no cowardly flight, he had gone to find help. He'd had a lucky escape, managing to slip past the tom sent to fetch him and run off. He would keep running, until he found someone who could help. He'd even have asked Macavity, if that had been possible.

"Shit, shit, shit." Tugger cursed the whole time, once he was out of earshot of the Junkyard. He kept running, panting now from the exertion and taking random corners to get rid of any tails. He turned one last bend, and stopped dead.

"Uh..." the maned tom managed.

"Can I help you?" the wolf asked.

"Uh... sure. You could start by not eating me."

"I don't like cat. Not enough meat, and too much fluff to be worth bothering about." Freki answered. "You look troubled."

"Understatement of the year," Tugger replied, shrugging. He tried to adopt a casual manner, but it was difficult when faced by a very big dog. Or a wolf. "Actually, maybe you could help. I'd make it worth your while, 'course."

"Depends. I don't help just anyone."

"See, I live in this Junkyard, right, my brother is the Leader of our tribe. We've got into a tight spot with some strange cats, and they kinda need help.You just said you don't eat cats, but you got anything against chasing 'em?"

The wolf shook his head. "Not at all. I might just have what you're looking for. Come with me."

"Thanks," Tugger replied, nodding for Freki to lead the way. "Glad you can help."

"It is my pleasure."

The maned tom followed the wolf to a dark alley a block from the Junkyard. They stopped at the end and Tugger turned to face the wolf again, feeling just a little bit nervous of the larger carnivore.

"Uhm... there's nothing here."

"I know."

"So why'd you-"

The question never got finished, as the wolf lashed out with one heavy front paw, knocking the Tugger down instantly. He groaned, trying to get back up but was hit again and blacked out. Freki picked the fluffy cat up by his scruff and carried him off, dropping him in a large cage beside a small tuxedo cat, who was also out cold.

"Who's that?" Diazi asked, staring curiously at the incredibly fluffy tomcat.

"Jellicle. Brother of the Leader, so he's important to them even if he lacks magic," the wolf answered.

"Ah. So what's next?"

"The wildcats have already moved in on the Junkyard. They want revenge on the Jellicles for introducing magic into domestic cats, as we know. They already suceeded in taking out Macavity, and now they are looking for his son. We cannot let them get to Mistoffelees, whatever the cost. The Jellicles are not strong enough to eliminate the wildcats alone, and we must help them."

"Why?"

"To keep them out of the way. We need Mistoffelees, and they won't give up without a fight. So they will get a fight. Situla, you stay and watch the cats, we're going to go and become heroes."


	17. Chapter 17 Rhyme and Reason

**A/N:** Hello. I've been gone for a long time, I know. Things have been just a little bit crazy of late. However, there is a new chapter of this fic, which has been waiting a long time to be finished. So, now, here it is. This fic is very near to being complete, which is probably good considering it's been going for well over a year now. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 17 - Rhyme and Reason**"I don't think you get it, Silverstripes. You're the Jellicle Leader, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"So the entire tribe is your responsibility. You're responsible for the Jellicle tribe? Am I right?"

"Yes, but..."

"So if I feel that I've been wronged by the Jellicle tribe, it's you I need to go to."

"I suppose, but..."

"Okay then. See, we have a problem. It used to be that only the wildcats of Scotland had magic. Then one of your lot ran off with one of our queens. She had a kitten, firey red in colour and blessed with our magics. A half-breed."

"Macavity."

"Yes. Killing him would have been enough, if it wasn't for the fact that he has already passed our gift on to another undeserving moggy. His son, who resides among the Jellicle tribe, must die too. And I intend to take revenge on his tribe, for causing this embarrassment to our kind."

"I won't let you kill any member of my tribe. You have no right to do this."

"Our ancient ways are in jeopardy, I have every right. You don't even know who his son is, do you?" The tom challenged, smirking when Munkustrap couldn't answer. "You don't even know your own nephew? That's awful." The tom was mocking but he'd done his homework, that was for sure.

"He's not here. You won't find him here." A voice piped up from just behind Munkustrap. It was Alonzo.

"Alonzo? How do you know?" Munkustrap asked, thoroughly confused.

"Macavity. He knew you were after him, he took precautions. It wasn't enough to save him, but he got his son out before you could find him," the patched tom explained, addressing the wildcat and ignoring Munkustrap for the moment.

"What do you mean, Alonzo?" Munkustrap demanded.

"Mistoffelees. He's Macavity's son."

"But you said you didn't know what happened to Misto," the silver tabby replied, suddenly suspicious.

"I don't. I just know that he disappeared, and Macavity was angry about the whole thing. He... he blocked Misto's magic, so he didn't give himself away. He intended to keep Misto here, to keep an eye on him, but sent him away when he spotted the wildcats nearby. He must have hoped that they'd go after Mistoffelees first, giving him time to get away." the patched tom went on with a fuller explanation, talking to everyone since every single feline present was listening.

"So where is he then?" The wild tom demanded.

"I don't know. I just said, I don't know. He vanished weeks ago, he could be anywhere by now."

The tom stepped forward, grabbing Alonzo by the throat. "You better not be lying to me."

"I'm not, I swear!" the patched tom choked out, struggling for air through the tom's tight grip.

------------

"Damn, that wolf packs a punch," Tugger groaned, rubbing his head as he finally came around. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the steel bars of the cage.

"Tugger?"

"Misto?" the maned tom turned, spotting the little tux.

"What? How? Huh?"

"Yeah, exactly. You alright?"

"Yeah. Just... never mind. Is everyone else okay? I heard Munkustrap was alive, is that true?"

"He is. Macavity's dead, but he did a lot of damage before they got 'im. Munk's doing better now, Alonzo's back to normal, just about. We'd be fine if it wasn't for the wildcats."

"Wildcats? Oh no. This is bad, this is really, really bad."

"Why?"

"Uhm. They're not nice cats, although what they want with the Jellicles... oh." Mistoffelees' voice died with the realisation that had just hit him.

"Oh? What is it, Misto?"

"It's me. They're after me, Tugger."

"What would they want with you?"

"My magic. It's why they killed Macavity. And why they want to kill me."

"Magic?"

"Yeah. They don't agree that we ordinary cats should be entitled to magic. Macavity was the first... and I, I inherited it from him."

Tugger sighed. Even after his death, Macavity could still cause problems for them. Although, this was probably not Macavity's fault, but his parents. Old Deuteronomy's fault, really. That was not a pleasant thought. It was much easier to blame Macavity.

"So what's this wolf guy got to do with it?" the maned tom asked after a moment.

"I don't know. They found me, far away from here, and brought me back. They helped me, but as soon as we got near the Junkyard, they dumped me in here. I still can't use my magic, Tug. How do we get out of here?"

"I dunno. We'll find a way," Tugger replied without much conviction. "How... I mean, have you tried using your magic?"

"Yeah... I... huh. Not for a while. I'm not sure how he blocked it, I was afraid of what would happen if I did try."

"What did he do, exactly?" Tugger enquired, partly from curiosity but also hoping to stimulate the tux's memory a bit and get him to remember. It couldn't be a physical block, the maned tom reasoned, as it would be possible to see that.

"Uhm... he said he wanted to talk to me. He told me it was for my own, good, and I had to listen carefully. I don't remember what he said, I felt kind of weird, then I remember... his voice, telling me that magic should be hidden. I didn't understand it, but he wouldn't... after that I couldn't use my magic. Something just blocked it."

Tugger nodded. "I see. It sounds like some sort of mental block or something..." he said uncertainly.

"Maybe I can break through it then..." Mistoffelees mused.

"Well, I don't understand the whole magic thing, but I think it's worth a shot."

--------  
"He speaks the truth," a deep voice spoke. All of the cats turned their attention to the source of the voice.

The large grey beast padded towards the group of cats, flanked by a pig and a deer. The wildcat let go of Alonzo, more interested in the appearance of the wolf. He bared sharp yellow fangs, daring to meet the yellow eyes of the larger animal. Freki matched the glare with a cold stare.

"These cats cannot help you. Perhaps you ought to treat your fellow felines with a little more respect," the wolf went on.

"Yeah? I don't think so. This one seems to be a trouble-maker, speaking out of turn like that," the large tom retorted, jerking his head towards the black and white tom. Alonzo let out a growl and seemed intent on attacking the wildcat, stopped only by Munkustrap grabbing his tail and yanking it hard.

"Don't make things worse, calm down."

Munkustrap glanced around at the wildcats. Most of them looked defiant but a few were wary of the large dog-like creature. In contrast, the majority of the Jellicles were scared and confused. Skimbleshanks was staring down one of the wildcats, that he recognised from his trip to Glasgow. It was a very odd situation.

"Trouble-maker he may be, but you won't find out what you want to know." Freki spoke evenly, but his glare had a teasing quality to it now.

"Wanna tell me who can?" the leader of the wildcats challenged.

"Of course. Leave the Jellicles alone and I will give you what you seek," the wolf said.

"I don't think so. You got no right to bargain over someone else's life, Mr Wolfie." The taunting drawl was recognised only by the Jellicles. All eyes turned to stare at the maned tomcat, who stood casually atop a nearby junk-pile with a long green hosepipe swinging from one paw. Although it didn't really look like a hosepipe...

"Situla! What have you done to her?" Scrofa demanded, baring his sharp tusks at the new arrival.

"'S not that hard to knock out a snake. It's funny, we thought you was supposed to help. At least, you let Misto believe you were helping. Take off the sheep's clothing and you're left with a big bad wolf. What do you want with my tribe?" Tugger spoke, a rare bite of anger in his voice.

The wolf crouched low, baring his fangs in a low growl. He did not verbally answer the question, but his growl deepened when Mistoffelees appeared beside Tugger.

"You will leave this place. All of you." the tux said dangerously, speaking quietly but the place was so deathly silent that every creature present heard him. He was giving off tremendous amounts of energy, months of pent-up magical energy was aching to be unleashed. His anger was palpable.

"You lied to me. You were going to use me as a bargaining tool. I am not a tool to be used, Freki. How dare you treat me as such." As he spoke, the wolf let go of his control for a moment and an expression of defiance and apprehension crossed his face.

Mistoffelees ignored this, and instead turned to face the wildcats. None of them had moved, everyone was trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

"You killed my father. Undoubtedly, he deserved to die for many reasons. He did terrible things, but never did he hate someone for who their parents were. He was killed because of something that he could not control. We don't choose to be born and we cannot choose whom we are born to. He deserved to die for what he did, but not who he was. Yet you did not stop there, you came here to kill me for the same reason. How dare you murder my father like that. How dare you interfere with my family. How dare you persecute anyone for something that was not their fault."

Mistoffelees paused, the air around him seemed to spark with tension, like the moments before a thunderstorm breaks out. He had stunned the wildcats into silence, each one of them too shocked to reply.

"Finally, how dare you try to harm my tribe."

Mistoffelees' face showed no discernible expression but the Rum Tum Tugger wore a smirk much reminiscient of his late brother. He swung the unconscious snake casually, causing the pig to glare at him again.

"He's got a point, you know," the maned tom said casually. "I bet if Mac was still around, he'd say the same thing. See, Misto's right. You can't choose family. But, you can choose to protect your family. I reckon you lot have got one last chance to get out of here. Else, you'll be chased out."

"No. We have worked too hard, too much is at stake. He cannot be allowed to live." The wildcat leader had found his voice again, and was pointing defiantly at Mistoffelees.

"Fine. You asked for it. Give them hell, Misto!" Tugger said, grinning at the tux.

The lightning bolt struck one of the wild cats, burning him instantly. The second that happened, the tension seemed to snap. With a roar, Alonzo leapt for a nearby cat, quickly followed by the rest of the tribe.

A bloody battle was upon them, with feline growls and pained yowls filling the air. Before long the fur was literally flying and the blood was starting to run. Munkustrap and Alonzo pounced together, taking on Freki with passion never seen before. The wolf struggled to keep track of the two cats, and was soon growling his frustration as he tried to fend them off. The fight got bloodier still, and showed no signs of stopping.

Suddenly there was silence. All eyes were on the black and white tuxedo patterned tom. Mistoffelees looked quite shocked, staring at a crumpled heap of fur before him. It was the leader of the Wildcats and he was dead. The remaining cats stared at Mistoffelees, until he broke out of his trance.

"Leave. Now." Barely a whisper, but the message was clear enough. The wildcats bolted, running off in different directions like a herd of sheep scattered by a collie.


End file.
